Stony Creek would not have been expected to deliver a headline moment on Tuesday but for new trainer Rory Hunter it was a day to remember with his first runner delivered his first win.
Prior to Hunter taking over training Soonga, the four-year-old gelding had three starts prior with the best result a seventh placing in a field of 13 in a maiden at Bendigo over 1400 metres on November 2.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr trained Soonga for those three starts after which Hunter took over the horse’s preparation.
“You just couldn’t dream of a better start (and) what a way to go,” Hunter said after winning the Fish Creek Hotel Maiden (1000m).
“I think just being able to let the horse roll and be comfortable in his rhythm was critical to his performance today.”
Soonga, ridden by Jake Noonan started at $6.50 with betr won by two-lengths over the Andrew Homann-trained Sports Choice ($18) with Hear Me Out ($3.10) in third.
A foreman for trainer Tony Noonan, Hunter has another runner nominated this week with Aragon a possibility to start at Warrnambool on Friday.