Great stories always come out of Warrnambool's famous May carnival and day one of this year's edition produced a beauty - trainer Mark O'Donnell with his two horse stable able to upstage his bigger rivals with his talented four-year-old Prince Sonic recording a tough all the way victory in the 1200m BM70 contest.
Up in class with the in-form Declan Bates (who really knows how to ride a leader!!) aboard, Prince Sonic was sent out at big odds but travelled nicely in front, kicking strongly in the run home to hold off a late challenge by the more fancied Truffle Finder.
It was win number three from just six starts for the promising gelding who O'Donnell has always had a big opinion of - very happy when jockey Rhys McLeod described him as "a serious horse who you are going to have a lot of fun with" after his debut victory at Hamilton last spring.
A horse who has been known to do a few things wrong, Prince Sonic was, O'Donnell recalled "a bugger to break in!"
But well known local horseman Sebastian Corboy got him on the right track and it has been onwards and upwards for Prince Sonic since and O'Donnell was delighted to win a Warrnambool carnival race at just his second attempt over the course of a number of years.
And with a horse he understandably has a major soft spot for - remembering the way in which he obtained him for the stable.
"One of my owners John Fiteni asked what I was going to do when my other horse Rebellious Lord (a ten-year-old winner of seven races) retired and I said 'I guess I will just got to the sales, buy a cheapie and start again!'"
"But John had some horses at home and told me to come and pick one out. There was this good-looking horse, who, when the food came out he took off at 100m miles an hour."
And whilst the other horses followed, he sneakily returned... "he came back around the truck and tucked into all the food!"
And that horse was the "good-looking" Prince Sonic, the horse with personality and talent!
Declan Bates was always confident during the race, noting that "he was very straightforward. He bounced out and found the front easily."
"He is a bit awkward to ride as he has a high head carriage but underneath that he lengthens nicely - he was very tough."
Excitingly watching on was Richard Anderson of Quilly Park who stands Prince Sonic's promising young sire De Gaulle at Bombora Downs.
Still on a high after watching his home-bred De Gaulle four-year-old De Venus bolt in with a Sale maiden a few weeks ago, Anderson was proud of his part in Prince Sonic's success - selling his dam Friendwithbenefits in foal to De Gaulle.
"It has always been part of my programme to match up De Gaulle well and get his progeny out there by selling mares in foal and others as yearlings. I am delighted that this is going to plan and I am thrilled with the job Prince Sonic is doing for his owners."
The unraced but talented and regally bred De Gaulle is really doing the job for small breeders - Prince Sonic one of his nine winners from limited opportunities.
The son of Exceed And Excel and the dual Gr.1 winning mare Response (also dam of the Golden Slipper winner Estijaab and last year's Concorde Stakes winner Remarque) is still serving small books but good things are happening - Prince Sonic's dam one of those to visit him last year whilst an eye-catching yearling sold at the recent Melbourne Premier has ended up in the Waterhouse & Bott stable.
For further details on De Gaulle, an ideal VOBIS horse who stands at a fee of $5500 (incl gst) contact Richard Anderson on 0412 560 051.
