A Brisbane winter carnival sojourn is on the radar for Hidden Achievement after he went one better than his runner-up finish on debut to post a classy win at Gosford.
A $675,000 yearling buy, Hidden Achievement ($5) travelled well throughout, shouldering his way into the clear at the top of the straight and surging to the front to take out Saturday’s Ortus Financial 2YO Handicap (1200m) by three-quarters of a length.
Barn mate Sarapo ($8) made good ground from the back to finish second with leader Chicama ($3.70 fav) a weakening third.
Waller’s stable representative Zane Jones said Hidden Achievement, who finished second on debut at Canterbury last month, had gone from strength to strength and could now head north for some stakes assignments.
“Lovely colt. He has just improved out of sight from his trials to his debut performance,” Jones said.
“Hidden Achievement put the writing on the wall the other day. We will let the dust settle, see how he comes through it and decide on Queensland then.”
Adam Hyeronimus doesn’t do a lot of riding for the Waller yard but with several jockeys already in Brisbane for the start of the winter carnival, he happily grasped Saturday’s opportunity.
“Nice to ride a very nice horse, a very nice two-year-old colt for Chris,” Hyeronimus said.
“Six furlongs probably isn’t his distance but he was just too good for them and he is only on the way up.”
Runner-up Sarapo was having his first start and also impressed with the way he found the line.
Both Waller-trained horses hold entries for the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31 and J J Atkins (1600m) a fortnight later.
Pre-post favourite Sequista was a late scratching on arrival at Gosford after suffering lacerations when she played up in the float on the way to the course.
