A gelding operation looks to have turned around the fortunes of high-priced yearling Amigo who landed his second race win at Sandown.
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained galloper took out the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Handicap (1000m) on Wednesday to remain unbeaten following a gelding operation.
Amigo was a $975,000 yearling purchase at the 2022 Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale and was having his sixth start on Wednesday.
Sent out the $2.60 favourite under Luke Nolen, Amigo scored by one-and-a-half lengths from Kahhof ($9.50) with Pia Mia ($4.40) a short-neck away third.
Amigo is part-owned by longtime Moody client Ron Wanless.
“He’s two for two as a gelding and that’s the good thing about the Wanless family,” Moody said.
“They paid a lot of money for him, but Ron always says, ‘treat them as your own, we’re after racehorses, not stallions’.
“I have to thank the Wanless family, as they put a fair bit in. We nutted a little bit off the bill last time (when successful at Mornington) and a little bit more today, but we’ve still got a fair way to go.”
Moody thought enough of Amigo to have a tilt at the Blue Diamond Series as a two-year-old last year.
After running fifth to Barber on debut in the Blue Diamond Prelude, Amigo was an emergency for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes but failed to gain a start.
After three more starts as a late two-year-old, early three-year-old, Amigo was gelded and is unbeaten in two runs at 1000m this campaign.
“He became a bit of a thinker as a colt,” Moody said.
“His last run here he was going to run straight past them, but he didn’t try. Now I’ve got to think whether he ran the trip out or didn’t.
“We may look for an 1100-metre or 1200-metre race and see how he handles that and then maybe stretch him out further, but he’s come back in good order and seems to be applying himself.”
