He wasn’t at his best but despite that and doing all the work red hot favourite Winterfeel was still able to take off the $10,000 Major Bronski Spring Challenge final (1800m) at Globe Derby Park.
A long odds on $1.20 favourite, Winterfeel sat outside the leader to score a 1-1/2 metre win from East To West ($29.20) with the pacemaker Our Strawberry Miss ($7.60) a long neck away third.
“It was the race we wanted to win,” said co-trainer Aaron Bain, “but he certainly wasn’t at his best.”
Bain trains Winterfeel in partnership with Jake Webster and the five-year-old has been a find costing just $3000 and winning 18 races and taking his stakes to more than $58,000. On Saturday night he also picked up a stallion service to Major Bronski which stands at Morley Park Stud.
Driver Ryan Hryhorec had no hesitation coming from gate two and sitting outside the leader Our Strawberry Miss which had kicked up from gate one.
“I drove him for the first time last week in the heat where he sat behind the leader and was able to outsprint it up the home straight,” Hryhorec said.
“He has looked good with his wins but I have to say tonight he didn’t really impress me.
“I thought he would control the race and win well but at no stage did I really think he had the race won until we hit the line.”
Bain said a blood test would be taken from Winterfeel this week before his future program was decided.
“He certainly wasn’t at his best but he was still good enough to sit in the death and run a 57.7 last half and win,” Bain said.
“We were probably going to give him a week off anyway but now we will have a look at him before deciding what to do.”
Bain said he was confident Winterfeel could continue to race through his classes to reach the best in South Australia.
“Then we will find out what his long term future holds.”
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