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Sebring colt opens his account at Newcastle for Waterhouse - Bott stable.

The Gai and Adrian Bott-trained Tea Leaves (2 c Sebring - Pattini by High Chaparral) got off the mark at the third time of asking over 1400 metres at Newcastle on Friday and he could now be set for bigger and better assignments. 

The two-year-old colt finished seventh at Canberra on debut in February, before recording a luckless second place finish over 1300 metres at Wyong on February 25, but he finally got his head in front on Friday. Jumping well from barrier six, Tea Leaves settled down in midfield in the early stages. Moved up approaching the home turn, he cornered on the outside of the field and was asked to quicken on straightening and took a little time to wind up and ran down Cruel Summer (Choisir) to score by a nose. Last Not Least (Criterion) was a further three lengths away in third. 

Waterhouse and Bott's stable representative Neil Paine said the colt would possibly head to the TL Baillieu Handicap (Listed, 1400m) at Rosehill on March 27, with the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at the same track on April 17 among his possible long term targets. 

"It was a brilliant finish. It just goes to show his fighting qualities," Paine said.

"He will only get better as he gets further.

"Speaking to Gai and Adrian his ultimate aim is the (Group 1) Champagne Stakes but he will probably go to the Baillieu after this.

"They will get him home and see how he pulls up, but they are his aims.

"He has improved at every start, is an exciting colt with nice owners - so it's exciting times."  

Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, the two-year-old son of late Widden Stud-based sire Sebring (More Than Ready) was purchased by his trainers for $325,000 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Segenhoe Stud draft and he is out of of winning High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells) mare Pattini. 

Pattini herself is a daughter of stakes-placed mare Skates (Danehill) - the dam of 2015 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and now Coolmore Stud-based sire Vancouver (Medaglia d'Oro) and fellow top-flight winner Just Momente (Giant's Causeway). 

In 2019 Pattini missed to Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) and has not been covered since. 

Sebring died in 2019 and 15 yearlings from his final crop are catalogued at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, which gets underway in Sydney on April 6.