Wymark back in winning form

[Wandering Eyes]

Last year’s Gr.2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) winner Wymark (NZ) (Savabeel) returned to winning form in style in the A$130,000 Sportsbet Fixed Odds Exotics Handicap (1800m) at Caulfield Heath on Saturday.

It was the fifth win of a 19-start career for the New Zealand-bred Savabeel gelding, who burst on the scene as a three-year-old two seasons ago with four consecutive wins culminating in the Tulloch Stakes. He then finished seventh behind Riff Rocket (American Pharoah) and Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m).

Wymark was guided through his first 16 starts by Michael Freedman, but switched to the Cranbourne stable of Gavin Bedggood this season. His first two appearances from his new quarters produced an 11^th at Flemington on November 8 and a fourth at Pakenham last Saturday. Those two outings helped to build up his fitness for his third-up assignment at Caulfield Heath, where he was right back at his very best.

Rider Jamie Mott settled Wymark in fourth along the rail, then stuck to the fence in the straight and drove his mount through a narrow gap on the inside of the front-running Oraqua (Zarak).

Wymark quickened well and dashed to the front, kicking away to beat the $1.95 favourite Sneaky Sunrise (The Autumn Sun) by two and a quarter lengths.

“That was a really dominant win today,” Mott said. “I had my first ride on him last time over the mile. That was quite a fast-run mile and he was just run off his legs a little bit, but I thought he held his ground nicely to the line.

“Today, going up to the 1800m on a week back-up, it looked like it would work well for him. He was able to travel much better today, and once the gap came in the straight, he really responded well. It was a good, strong win. I struggled to pull him up too, so the further, the better.”

Wymark races in the colours of OTI Racing and has now earned A$452,875 from a 19-start career that has produced five wins and four placings.

“He was a Group Two winner as a three-year-old but hadn’t won for a very long time,” Bedggood said. “It was trainer error when I ran him on bad ground at Flemington, but then I thought he ran a much improved race at Pakenham back on dry ground last weekend.

“He had a swim on Monday and spend his week out in the sand hills, we didn’t need to gallop him. He jumped a few logs this morning. I pulled a blood on him on Thursday and his blood was strong, and the vet said there was no reason not to run him, so here we are.

“We knew we’d end up third or fourth on the fence and we’d just have to wait our turn, and luckily we got the run that we did in the straight and the rest is history.

“He’s not going to be easy to place over the next month or so in Victoria, there isn’t a whole lot available for him. But he is a Magic Millions horse, so there’s a chance he might go to the staying race up there. We’ll see how he pulls up and work out the logistics of it.”

Wymark was bred by Waikato Stud and is out of Pasadena (NZ), an unraced O’Reilly full-sister to multiple Group One winner Alamosa. Wymark was purchased at the Gold Coast yearling sales by bloodstock agent Mick Wallace for A$200,000.

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