It was a long time coming, but Wonder Boy finally broke through for the second win of his career at Bendigo on Saturday.
And the Jerome Hunter-trained gelding did it in style, landing a maiden Stakes success in the $200,000 Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m).
It was the three-year-old’s first win since debut victory at Flemington in June last year and Hunter said while he had always maintained the faith, it was a relief to see the son of Cosmic Force, who owner Graeme Gathercole purchased as a weanling, deliver again.
“I’ve been happy with his whole preparation, a lot of people have gone off him, but I’ve had faith in the horse and I know he’s just going to get bigger and better as he gets older,” Hunter said.
“I was in Queensland with Barb Raider when Graeme Gathercole asked me to go down and have a look at him and we bought him as a weanling.
“So, it’s been a long time and to get him to win a Listed race, it’s fantastic.”
Wonder Boy, the $3.10 betting site favourite, benefitted from a positive ride from Jamie Mott to get home by a half-length from Kalkallo with leader Rue De Royale ($4.80) a neck away third.
“I thought if we could begin good, I had the leader inside me in barrier seven, that we could potentially slide over and come with it and it worked out perfectly,” Mott said.
“I got across really easy and he travelled great. He is a horse that hits a bit of a flat spot, but late he really got into gear and it was a good win.”
Wonder Boy’s win followed a second placing to Lazzura in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill and Hunter said long term the plan to get back to that track for a race worth much more than the Bendigo Guineas.
“The Queensland Guineas is in three weeks’ time, so we’ll aim for that and we’ll just see where we’re at with him after that what we do but, long-term, as long as he gets his rating up, I’d like to go for the Golden Eagle.”
