One of Queensland’s best horses The Candy Man (Casino Prince-Melody) took his career earnings past the half million mark with a brave win while resuming at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
He lumped 61kg over the 1400m and came home his last 600m in a stunning 33.38sec to win by a long neck from the vastly improved and very consistent Skate To Paris with Snitch back a few lengths away in 3rd.
It was a brilliant return to racing for the big grey, who wears very similar colours to Gunsynd, and is the same colour as that former Queensland champion.
But trainer Barry Baldwin, who ‘got on’ early, “because we thought he had a really good chance today,” is about to lose him.
“Yeah, next week he goes south to Team Hawkes racing and I think everyone will see what we know, that this is a really good horse.
“He’s put on 25kilos since last prep and I’d have to starve him to get it off. It’s just muscle now and he is in terrific shape.”
The win was his 11th from 23 race starts and Brad Stewart had him up in 3rd spot early, trucking along behind a good tempo.
When he got him into the clear once they turned, he just knuckled down to his task brilliantly.
“He’;s stronger now and that’s because we’ve been able to get 12 weeks of really good training into him. Lots more swimming this time up,” said Baldwin who clear, clearly loves this big horse.
He’ll be aimed at the G1 Epsom Handicap over 1600m at Randwick next month and on the strength of this win, he’ll test everyone.
Which would be somewhat of a poetic revenge.
The great Gunsynd, who carried, as mentioned the purple and white halves colours as does The Candy Man, raced seven times over 1600m. He won six times – only defeat was by New Zealand’s champion Triton by a head…..in the Gr 1 Epsom!
