Fierce Impact (JPN) looked all over the winner of Saturday's Group III Bill Ritchie Handicap at Randwick when he sprinted quickly to put a length on Kolding, however the Group II Queensland Guineas winner began to rally under Glen Boss to claim an unlikely victory.
Carrying the familiar colours of owner Neville Morgan, the Chris Waller-trained gelding defeated Fierce Impact (JPN) by a head with Desert Lord (High Chaparral) a length and three-quarters back in third. (images Steve Hart)
"He's a quality individual with a real presence about him," Boss told AAP.
"I was confident at the top of the straight that I was going to run really well but when Nash on Fierce Impact put three quarters of a length on me really quick I thought, 'oh gee that's just too good' but to his credit he lifted when I asked him to.
"That's a good sign heading towards the Epsom."
Given a let-up after his triumph at Eagle Farm, the 4yo son of Ocean Park was coming off a solid fifth behind the in-form Dreamforce in the Group II Tramway Stakes at Randwick on September 7 and Waller said that with 50.5kgs the Epsom looks the perfect race for him.
"It's a winnable weight and there's a sense of timing, it's the race he's been set for after winning the race at Eagle Farm, the Queensland Guineas," Waller said.
"He's a really nice horse and it was good to see him fight strong that last 50 when it looked like he might have been beaten.
Purchased by
Mulcaster Bloodstock for $170,000 out of the Wentwood Grange draft at the 2017
NZB Premier Yearling Sale, Kolding advances his record 6 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds
from 13 starts with earnings of $451,000.
He becomes the third stakes-winner out of the Danzero mare Magic Star who was purchased by Kolding's breeder Warren Pegg for $34,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
All seven of Magic Star's foals to reach the track are winners headed by the prolific Group II winner Sampson (Dubai Destination) and the Listed winner Miss Upstart (Snippetson).
She has an unraced 3yo Iffraaj filly named Faye Presto who was purchased for $150,000 by Grahame Begg Racing / Rohan J Hughes Thoroughbred Services at Karaka.
Sadly, Magic Star and her Astern colt foal died last spring.
Waikato Stud's Group 1 WS Cox Plate hero Ocean Park is having a day out.
The son of Thorn Park has winners at Caulfield, Eagle Farm, Hastings and Randwick.
