Lightly raced Setoga surprised even his jockey Paul Hammersley with his powerful finish to win at Doomben on Saturday.
Setoga ($12) was slow to jump and was a clear last early before charging home to beat the favourite Don’t Leave Me out ($3.70) by two lengths.
The gelding is one of 15 horses trainer Steve O’Dea has for the Aquis organisation and he has always shown plenty of ability.
Hammersley said it wasn’t the win which surprised him but rather the manner.
“I wasn’t confident at all until we got to about the 250m and then he just took off. He has a way to go yet but he is very promising,” Hammersely said.
Stable foreman Matt Hoysted said Setoga was getting better with racing after winning a maiden at the Sunshine Coast in his last campaign.
“We just wanted to work him through his grades before getting too excited. He has taken another step today,” he said.
Setoga is a son of sire Your Song, a noted wet-track horse, who also had an earlier winner with Only Wanna Sing on Saturday’s heavy track.
