Beautifully bred Pencarrow gelding Sarti (NZ) (Snitzel) launched his racing career in style on Thursday with an impressive come-from-behind victory in the $25,000 Keith Stringer Maiden (1200m) at Tauranga.

A winner in the most recent of his three trials appearances, the four-year-old was slow to leave the starting gates in his raceday debut on Thursday and settled near the tail of the field. He still had only two horses behind him as he came around the turn and straightened for home.

But then rider Vinnie Colgan brought him to the outside and turned him loose. Sarti showed an explosive turn of foot and powered past six rivals in the straight, hitting the front less than 30 metres from the finish but pulling away to be almost a length in front at the line.

Sarti is trained by Ken and Bev Kelso and has earned $14,375 from his one-start, one-win career. He was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and is raced by Sir Peter Vela.

“His trials have been okay, but trials are trials,” Ken Kelso said. “We’ve always thought he could gallop, but we’ve just had to wait for him. He’s a big, lean machine and has taken time, but he’s always shown ability.

“I told Vinnie to let him find his feet, get him balanced up and hopefully he can find the line, and that’s what he did.

“We’ll take our time with him from here and go through the grades. Hopefully he’ll keep developing as he goes along.

“We’ve had a lot of luck for Sir Peter in the past, and it’s good to get another winner for him. Hopefully he can go on and be as good as some of the others.”

Sarti is by the champion Australian sire Snitzel out of the top-class Pencarrow homebred mare Guiseppina (NZ) (Johar), who won six of her 21 starts and more than $369,000 in stakes. She won the Group One Telegraph (1200m), the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) and Listed Levin Stakes (1200m), and she placed in the Group One Spring Classic (2040m) and Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m).

Guiseppina is the dam of two winners from three foals to race, including Tavi Time (NZ) (Tavistock), whose 10 wins include and two editions of the Group Three Summer Cup (2400m) as well as the Listed Scone Cup (1600m).

Pencarrow Stud will offer a half-brother to Sarti and Tavi Time during Karaka 2026 later this month. The colt by U S Navy Flag out of Guiseppina will go through the ring as Lot 465 in Book 1.