Into The Red completed a remarkable comeback from injury in winning the Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm.
The gelding suffered a ligament injury last year and although not career-threatening, it enabled the gelding to improve his mindset.
“It allowed him to mature mentally and he’s turned into a lovely horse now,” trainer Kelso Wood said.
“The injury he had was always going to heal and he’s only just starting to realise his potential.”
Into The Red ($5.50) prevailed by a half head from Saluter ($7.50) after an enthralling battle in the final 200m on Saturday.
“I’m so pleased he won because my stable has been at a bit of a low ebb,” Wood said.
“The winter carnival has been dominated so far by the southern horses so it’s good to win a race like this.”
Wood intends to restrict Into The Red to short-course sprints.
“You need to get him in a race where there’s a lot of speed and if that eventuates then he’s awfully hard to beat,” he said.
“He’s a sit-and-sprint horse and when he lets go he can really sprint hard at the end of a race.”
Into The Wood’s win was especially significant for his rider Luke Dittman who completed the last day of his apprenticeship on Saturday.
Stewards rejected a bid by trainer John O’Shea to scratch subsequent third placegetter Mogador, the $5 favourite, because the colt would be disadvantaged by barrier one on a day where the racing pattern was to race away from the fence.
