Friday, 15 June 2012: Midnight Gold, a filly whose looks match her breeding, looks to have a bright future after an impressive maiden win at Wyong on Thursday.
Midnight Gold is by Zabeel from the Redoute's Choice mare To Be Surprised, a winner of three city races and was bred by her owner, Gerry Harvey.
“She is a lovely big mare and is obviously going to get a lot further,” said co-trainer Michael Hawkes.
“One thing we know, which is a bonus, is that she can handle a heavy track.
“She has taken time to mature and is still 12 months away from realising her full potential.
“Putting the blinkers on obviously fired her up.”
Josh Adams worked Midnight Gold over from her wide barrier to be in the lead after the first 400 metres and she was never headed afterto win by three lengths.
Another well bred galloper Dream Choice, a half brother to the Golden Slipper winner Polar Success, won the Apex Insurance C2 (1600m) for trainer David Payne.
The maiden win by the Joe Pride trained Bilko over 1350m was the second step in what the trainer hopes will be a bright future in races over 1600m and longer.
At his previous start and his first attempt at the distance Bilko finished second at Wyong two weeks ago.
“Joe has always liked the horse and wants give him several starts over 1350m before stepping him up further in distance,” said foreman Dominic Bracks.
“He is a lovely horse, really relaxed and the sort who should get 1600 metres and possibly further.”
Two long spells and plenty of patience from Cessnock trainer Robert Davies is paying off with Noverach, who led to win his maiden over 1100m.
“He was pulling up after his work and giving us the indication he had a problem in one of his fetlocks,” Davies said.
“I took him up to the Satur vet clinic at Scone but x-rays could find nothing wrong and they said to put him out for four months.
“We got him back in and we hadn't even got to working him fast before the problem developed again.
“The vet said give him a longer break so we put him out for six months and it worked. All he needed was time.”
Wyong trained gallopers Jack's Song and Real Steel scored impressive wins in successive races with Real Steel, the horse with film star looks, to return to the next Wyong meeting in two weeks time.
The Michael Donoghue trained Real Steel has now had two starts for his stable two wins, resuming from a spell to score a strong maiden win at Taree last month
Donoghue broke in Real Steel but the horse then went to another trainer and had one start for a fourth at Nowra.
“The horse was sent back to me but he had a heap of problems and he was hurting,” Donoghue said.
“We sorted out all those problems, he isn't hurting anymore and he is starting to realise on the potential he always showed me.”
Real Steel will be back at Wyong on June 28 for another Benchmark 60 over 1100 metres.
