Sydney’s Warwick Farm Racecourse hosted its signature event of the spring on Saturday – the Warwick Stakes Day – and one fixture was the Group Three Up And Coming Stakes (1200m).

Fourteen top quality colts and geldings took to the jump on Saturday afternoon, with Decision Time the hot favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au. But the Clarry Conners-trained gelding failed to impress, instead finishing in fifth spot.

It was the lightly raced Blackball in barrier 12 which took the win. Trained by Peter Snowden, the Canny Lad colt was superb in just his fifth jump – last up recording a second-place finish in the Group Two Pago Pago Stakes (1200m).

Tye Angland guided the three-year-old perfectly down the outside of the track – with the two being the widest running pair on the turn down the straight.

But Angland claimed he knew the colt had it in him to push forward, and Blackball did, to snatch the victory by a slim half-neck.

Buffering had sat on pace beautifully for the majority of the run having started from the widest alley. It was a gallant effort from the Mossman gelding, which has won five of his seven career starts.

Another superb run was from the third-placed Sea Lord. It was the colt’s second ever jump, and with Blake Shinn directing him from the saddle proved he could be a star this spring at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Taking place alongside the 2010 Up And Coming Stakes on Saturday was the headlining Group Two Warwick Stakes (1400m) which saw Metal Bender in first place and the Group Three Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) where stablemate to Blackball – Parables, claimed the honours.

Snowden has pencilled in the Listed Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) as Blackball’s next up jump on September 4, while Buffering is set to jump in the Listed Heritage Stakes (1200m) on September 11 – so make sure to follow the youngsters’ campaign this spring through Ladbrokes.com.au.

2010 Up And Coming Stakes Results