Two-year-old colt Stupendo notched a win at his first start in impressive fashion by taking out the Greg Miles Trophy over 1100 metres at Flemington.
Danny O’Brien, who also saddled up fourth-placed Hell Hath No Fury, seemed surprised at their finishing order and said post-race that Stupendo’s quick progression in recent weeks brings confidence that there is a lot more to come.
Both horses shared favouritism at $5.
“I thought the filly (Hell Hath No Fury) would do everything right and he’s been a bit wayward but (today) it’s been the other way around – he’s done everything right and she was a bit wayward,” O’Brien said.
“But look, they’ve both run particularly well.”
Encouraging comments from jockey Craig Williams after a jump out at Werribee last Monday gave O’Brien a further lead towards taking the colt to the races for this event.
“It was the way he trialled at Werribee,” O’Brien added.
‘He’d only had the one jump out here (at Flemington) against two other horses and we took him to Werribee and trialled really, really well. Craig Williams gave him a good report.”
Stupendo, by first season sire Supido, scored by a neck margin over the James Cummings-trained pair Kin ($9.50) and Via Via ($5.50), with 1¼L separating second and third.
By winning over this course, Stupendo follows Supido’s good record down the Flemington straight having won four times from 1000 metres to 1200 metres.
Supido, who stands at Widden Stud, finished fourth in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) in 2018 and had four starters prior to Stupendo providing the freshman sire with his first winner.
A Magic Millions Sales purchase, O’Brien said that he will consider sending Stupendo to Queensland for the $2 million feature at Gold Coast on 15 January but conceded that favourite Coolangatta ($2.25) looks ‘very hard to beat’.
Stupendo is rated a $15 chance for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.