Smart sprinter bounces back second-up

Smart sprinter My Greek Boy produced a slashing second-up performance to win Sunday’s Balgownie Equine Centre Handicap (1230m) at Percy Spencer Racecourse, to earn a possible crack at the upcoming $100,000 Mungrup Stud Sprint (1300m) in Mt Barker.

The Steve Wolfe-trained galloper was disappointing first-up at Ascot last month after a strong trial win, finishing more than 13 lengths last where he got his tongue over the bit and choked down.

However, he returned in terrific style on the Ladies’ Day card, settling midfield for jockey Shaun O’Donnell before blasting past his rivals in the home straight to down Niccatrice by 11/2 lengths.

The victory also ended a dry spell for Wolfe, who went four Great Southern meetings without saddling up a winner.

Wolfe is now weighing up whether to run the promising four-year-old in the region’s richest sprint race on January 22 at Mt Barker Turf Club.

“He got buffeted early in the race in town and got his tongue over the bit and then rushed forward,” Wolfe said.

“He was a grade above that field and hopefully he can go on with it now. He may go in the (Mungrup Stud) Sprint or go to town over 1200m or 1400m.

“I’m sure he will be up to the sprint but he may go there next year and we can pick a few off before then, so we’ll just wait and see.”

Wolfe said the addition of blinkers had sharpened up the Myboycharlie gelding.

“The pace on helped him and the blinkers made him concentrate a bit more,” he said.

“He had them on when he trialled.

“He was extremely well ridden by Shaun as well.”

Wolfe also had an impre-ssive trial winner, two-year-old Cold As Cold on Sunday, while Mass Effect, Boxonlucy, In The Loop and So Edgy all ran minor placings.

Wolfe sits equal third on the Great Southern trainers’ premiership with Jonathon Jachmann, the pair with four wins but they trail leader Roy Rogers (10 wins) and Mark Bairstow (8).

Rogers scored a winner on the card with five-year-old Kinjara breaking his maiden status at his sixth start.

Bairstow won the final race of the day — the Bremer Bay Ladies’ Day Handicap (1903m) with gutsy stayer Northern Lyric, perfectly ridden by Daniel Staeck.