Trainer Tom Dabernig has finally got the monkey off his back with a feature race win in his hometown of Warrnambool.
Oliveanotherday took out the major sprint of the Warrnambool Three-Day Carnival when successful in the Listed Wangoom Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday.
Dabernig left the safety of Lindsay Park to branch out on his own just on five years ago and set up base in Warrnambool.
It was initially a tough start for Dabernig who prepared Group 1 winners when in a training partnership with his uncle David Hayes and then his cousin Ben Hayes, but in recent times he has not looked back.
Dabernig could have travelled Oliveanotherday to Adelaide for a number of races, including the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday, but wanted to tick off a hometown feature.
Sent out the $2.80 favourite under Harry Coffey, Oliveanotherday ploughed through the Warrnambool mud to score a 2-½ length win from Immortal Star ($21) with Great Maximus ($17) in third spot.
“We’ve known from early days that he had a stack of ability and he keeps on improving,” Dabernig told racing.com.
“I felt being a locally trained horse and with the Wangoom the main sprint of the Carnival, I wanted to be a part of it.
“I’ve been lucky enough to train a lot of decent horses and have some big race wins, but I was feeling the pressure coming into this with a three-year-old in the race.
“But that’s what good horses do, they’re just better than the opposition and hopefully we can keep him progressing and there’s another couple of decent wins in him.”
Coffey was full of praise for Oliveanotherday, describing it as a ‘phenomenal effort’.
“At the 600 (metres) the rain was hitting us in the face and there was a run,” Coffey said.
“He’s such a horse that he pushed his way into it. I was shutting my eyes and hoping everything was OK and when he got through, he let rip.
“You slip him some rein and he finds power instantly. He puts a couple of lengths on them and then sustains it.
“Late he was clocking off in the testing ground and rolling back where it’s a little bit worn, but he pretty much galloped solo up the straight in conditions that were horrific against tougher older horses.
“He’s a good horse.”
Coffey said on Wednesday’s performance, Dabernig could have taken Oliveanotherday to a race interstate and the gelding would have given a great sight.
“Tom has done a great job in placing him,” Coffey said.
“To be fair he could have raced in many races around Australia in the last fortnight and he would have been winning on that effort.”
Oliveanotherday was Dabernig’s third winner of the Carnival after the victory of Singles Moment on Tuesday and Dantooine earlier on Wednesday’s program.
