Apprentice Ben Vassallo celebrated his first Saturday metropolitan victory when Hardbreak Hotel ran out a surprise winner at Warwick Farm.
The six-year-old has a good record fresh but trainer Guy Walter admitted he could not envisage him winning against a crack field of sprinters in the Warwick Farm 100 (1100m).
The $26 chance stormed home to beat $5.50 equal favourite Earnest Ernest by a short neck.
The gelding gave Walter the second leg of a two-state double following Delzera’s win at Flemington earlier in the day.
“I thought he would go well but I was surprised he had that much speed against this field,” the Warwick Farm-based Walter said.
“Both he and Delzera are prepared out of my Goulburn stable and it’s a testament to the team down there that they could win.”
For Vassallo, who is indentured to Walter, the win came as the heavyweight 28-year-old prepares to leave the apprentice ranks.
“I come out of my time on the 26th of next month and I’m going to be a dad on the 26th of November so this has come at a good time,” he said.
“I broke my ankle here in January and was off for four months.
“I recently had a two-week suspension but for a heavyweight jockey like me it’s more like four weeks.”
Walter sent Delzera south looking for a wet track and the mare led all the way on the heavy ground with apprentice Jake Duffy aboard.
