A routine surgical procedure put Toydini in the right frame of mind for racing and an inspired ride by Blake Shinn allowed him reveal his undoubted potential at Randwick on Saturday.
Toydini had shown plenty of ability in his two-year-old season and then as a spring three-year-old, but was held back by intractability.
Toydini - Photo by Steve Hart
Trainer Guy Walter decided to take the ultimate step and gelded Toydini before he began his autumn campaign and is now wondering why he didn’t do so sooner.
“It’s been the making of him,” Walter said.
“He always had ability but now he’s really going somewhere.”
While the result of the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) was clear cut, Walter admitted he’d been concerned when Toydini was among the last few on settling down.
But as the pace slowed in the middle stages, Shinn seized the initiative and circled the field, turning for home on the outside of the leader, and favourite, Tatra.
“That was a first-class demonstration of his skills as a rider,” Walter said.
Having put himself into the race, Toydini ($4.20) then produced a second effort in the final 300m to run away with the race, scoring by 3-3/4 lengths.
Hawkspur ($18) worked home reasonably to snatch second from Bradman ($21) by a short half-head.
Walter will now test Toydini’s Queensland Derby prospects in two weeks when he runs in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
“We’ll see how he handles the extra distance and then make a decision on a Queensland trip,” he said.
