If Darren Weir’s dominance of the 2018 Warrnambool May Racing Carnival was perhaps predictable, the emergence of local trainer Symon Wilde was rather less expected.
On a wet and wild final day, which followed two days of unseasonably warm weather at ‘The Bool’, Wilde saddled four winners including the appropriately-named Gold Medals, who became the first horse for 13 years to complete the Brierly Steeplechase-Grand Annual double.
After 5500m of unforgettable action just a neck separated Gold Medals and Zed Em, whose gallant attempt to make all was thwarted on the line by Wilde’s stable star, who took his earnings past the $700,000 mark in the process.
But the prizemoney meant little to Wilde, whose emotional post-racing interview with Racing.com perfectly encapsulated how much this Carnival means to the racing community, both locally and nationally.
“This win means so much more to me than a Group 1,” revealed Wilde as he fought back tears of joy.
Not all of Gold Medals’ group of owners had agreed with the decision to back him up in the Grand Annual marathon, two days after his thrilling victory – also over the Patrick Payne-trained Zed Em – in the Brierly Steeplechase (3450m).
But to his credit Wilde backed his judgement and declared Gold Medals ready for the ultimate test of jumps racing, having rejuvenated the eight-year-old gelding with a visit to Lady Bay beach, where he cantered along the sand and soothed his tired muscles with a morning swim.
“I told the owners I was happy with the horse, a few of them didn’t want to run him so I was on a hiding to nothing,” said Wilde.
“He had to win, otherwise my head was on the chopping block! It’s a race I’ve watched my whole life, and always wanted to win. And to do it with this fella means the world to me. He’s not a Group 1 horse, but he couldn’t be any more special to me.”
Weir, meanwhile, could have several Group 1 horses-in-waiting after some stars emerged from the arsenal of artillery he sent to the three-day Carnival, which again attracted in excess of 30,000 spectators.
Of the 12 winners Weir produced, perhaps three-year-old gelding Furrion appeared to have the most untapped potential after he blew his older rivals away in the Neville Wilson Series Final (1700m).
The victory, by 2.5 lengths over last year’s winner Like the Clappers, extended his unbeaten streak to three races, and the British import is now one of the early favourites for next month’s Group 1 Queensland Derby (2200m).
Jockey Brad Rawiller, who ended the meeting with three winners, was clearly impressed with the son of Camelot, the multiple Group 1 winner trained by Aidan O’Brien.
“I know Darren [Weir] has a very high opinion of this horse, from the moment he arrived he’s been so upbeat about him,” said Rawiller.
“He’s a very progressive horse who still has a few things to learn, but he was in cruise control today.”
Later in the day, Weir took out the Warrnambool Cup for the fifth year in succession when Gallic Chieftain pipped his stablemate Yogi to the post in one of countless dramatic denouements.
Other festival highlights included Two Hats’ victory in the Galleywood Hurdle (3200m) for local trainer Aaron Purcell, who had shown his versatility by winning the previous race on the flat with Von Mystic.
In his last start at Pakenham, Two Hats had taken a tumble but he bounced back in resounding fashion with a perfect demonstration of hurdling to land the feature race on day two.
Earlier in the day, a bold display of jumping by Steve Pateman on The Dominator secured victory in the Decron Dunroe Steeplechase (3450m) for trainer Henry Dwyer, who was swamped by the horse’s jubilant owners in the immediate aftermath.
The scenes of unbridled joy were repeated several times over three days of racing which again confirmed The Bool’s status as the king of country carnivals.
Roll on next 2019…