A month after a Magic Millions experience that would put most two-year-olds in a spelling paddock, Invader has found winning form.
But whether the colt is around for much longer remains to be seen despite a win built on determination in the Chris Toogood Handicap at Randwick on Wednesday.
“It’s a day-to-day thing now to see how far he progresses from now on,” co-trainer Paul Snowden said.
“It was a killer day (at the Gold Coast) and it says a lot for him to go up there and race enormously well to get beaten a pimple for third.
“He went down on his head after two hundred metres, split his lip open and to finish where he did was a massive effort.”
Snowden expects Invader to improve as the distances extend beyond Wednesday’s 1200m.
“Definitely he is going to be better once he gets up in trip a bit … it will help him travel a lot better,” Snowden said.
Hugh Bowman allowed Invader, the $2.40 favourite, to keep the advantage of the rails into the straight.
Invader joined Malahat on the turn before holding off the Canonbury Stakes placegetter’s stablemate Savatiano to win by a neck.
The win started a sequence of victories on up-and-coming horses for Bowman as he also scored on I Thought So and Sizzling Bullet.
