BRC Sprint winner Woorim showed too much class to to win today’s Glasshouse Handicap at Sunshine Coast racecourse ahead of the much improved Meet George in second and the 2009 Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready in third.
It wasn’t the Stradbroke Handicap and it wasn’t a Group One race but Woorim still showed he has one of Australia’s most devastating finishes with an easy win in the $175,000 Glasshouse Handicap on Saturday.
Woorim made it back-to-back wins in the Listed 1400m feature when he produced his typical blistering finish at Caloundra to score an easy win and make up for his unlucky last-start defeat in the Stradbroke Handicap on June 11.
Winning rider Damian Browne helped qualify Woorim for the Stradbroke when he partnered him to victory in the BTC Sprint at Doomben on May 21 but missed the plum ride in the big race through a careless riding suspension.
Woorim’s owner and breeder Ross Cutts was lamenting what might have been after Corey Brown rode the horse without luck in the Stradbroke and he was elated to have Browne back in the saddle today.
“What a rider he is,” Cutts said.
“And what a horse he is – I am always worried when he gets so far back during the race but he finishes so brilliantly.
“I’d love to win a Group One race with him and he’ll get his chance in the spring in Melbourne.”
Browne rode with his renowned patience and allowed Woorim to get back to last during the run and admitted post-race he was worried when the horse struggled to stay in touch under his 58.5kg impost.
“He was doing it tough to stay on the back of Adnocon during the run but once he got to the top of the straight and I balanced him up he really let down,” Browne said.
“He went that quick when he sprinted I actually thought I’d got to the front and was left a sitting shot.
“He’s a very, very good horse.”
Woorim ($6) powered to the front passing the 200m and raced away in the closing stages to beat Meet George ($21) by a 1-1/4 lengths with Phelan Ready ($9) three lengths back third.
Race favourite Mystical Grey ($4) ran well to finish fifth with early leader Drenalin folding up in the straight to finish eighth.
AAP TURF
