Amigo lands his second race win at Sandown
A gelding operation looks to have turned around the fortunes of high-priced yearling Amigo who landed his second race win at Sandown.
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained galloper took out the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Handicap (1000m) on Wednesday to remain unbeaten following a gelding operation.
Amigo was a $975,000 yearling purchase at the 2022 Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale and was having his sixth start on Wednesday.
Sent out the $2.60 favourite under Luke Nolen, Amigo scored by one-and-a-half lengths from Kahhof ($9.50) with Pia Mia ($4.40) a short-neck away third.
Amigo is part-owned by longtime Moody client Ron Wanless.
“He’s two for two as a gelding and that’s the good thing about the Wanless family,” Moody said.
“They paid a lot of money for him, but Ron always says, ‘treat them as your own, we’re after racehorses, not stallions’.
“I have to thank the Wanless family, as they put a fair bit in. We nutted a little bit off the bill last time (when successful at Mornington) and a little bit more today, but we’ve still got a fair way to go.”
Moody thought enough of Amigo to have a tilt at the Blue Diamond Series as a two-year-old last year.
After running fifth to Barber on debut in the Blue Diamond Prelude, Amigo was an emergency for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes but failed to gain a start.
After three more starts as a late two-year-old, early three-year-old, Amigo was gelded and is unbeaten in two runs at 1000m this campaign.
“He became a bit of a thinker as a colt,” Moody said.
“His last run here he was going to run straight past them, but he didn’t try. Now I’ve got to think whether he ran the trip out or didn’t.
“We may look for an 1100-metre or 1200-metre race and see how he handles that and then maybe stretch him out further, but he’s come back in good order and seems to be applying himself.”
The Snitzel x You're So Good gelding goes back-to-back for @moodyracingpgm ✌️ pic.twitter.com/zoiqeXAbf6
— Racing.com (@Racing) January 17, 2024
More Racing News
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Improving trio to fly flag for Godolphin at Kembla Grange
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest benchmark...
Jason Collett hoping to find Express lane in The Gong
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing pattern...
Mark Walker aims for ‘new’ hometown Cranbourne Cup
Trainer Mark Walker has a good record when in form New Zealand gallopers land in Australia. Walker’s latest ‘import’ is It’s A Wild Night who will have his first Australian outing in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday. It’s A Wild Night arrived at Walker’s Cranbourne base just over a week ago...
Railway Stakes 2024 timing perfect for Baker’s Bel
In-form mare Belclare will need to overcome a wide alley to land her first Australian Group One win in the Railway Stakes at Ascot, and connections believe Nash Rawiller is the perfect man for the job. A two-time victor at the highest level in New Zealand, Belclare joined the Sydney stable of Bjorn...
Trainer Gavin Bedggood chasing Fortune in The Meteorite
Gavin Bedggood hopes the decision to take Oscar’s Fortune to Cranbourne for a midweek gallop will pay off handsomely on Saturday. Oscar’s Fortune runs in the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m), a new ‘slot race’ that Southside Racing, a merged entity of the Cranbourne and Pakenham Clubs, runs for the first time. The former...
John Stewart eyes Melbourne with 2024 Japan Cup fancy
Goliath faces one of the toughest tasks in racing this weekend, beating the Japanese at home in their biggest race, but John Stewart is already planning his next moves with his star recruit and Australia is on the itinerary. The ambitious American has quickly become a powerful investor in Australian racing and...
Hedged poised to give The Warra rivals a trim-up
The Magic Millions carnival is the campaign focal point for promising sprinter Hedged, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping he can knock off a feature race along the way. The gelding will resume in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, his first start...
