Waller and Hutchings then combined in the following race, the McGrath Estate Agents Bm77 Handicap (1200m), with Sir Bacchus. The Sebring three-year-old gelding stormed down the outside with 59kg to win his second race in succession.
The win looked unlikely at the 300m with Lucky Fish (carried 52.5kg) and apprentice James Innes out to a good lead and Sir Bacchus not making ground. However Hutchings quickly reversed that impression and the grey charged at the leader and swept past for a 1 1/2L winning margin and a new class record time of 1.09.67.
Lucky Fish (Exceed And Excel) was second with a further 1 1/2L to Sampeah (Exceed Ad Excel) (59kg) and Mitchell Bell in third.
“He needed to be a good horse to win from where he was,” said Waller. “He is an immature horse who is still learning his trade.”
The next step in that learning curve will be, like his stablemate Encosta Line, a trip to Brisbane and in his case for the Group 3 Fred best Classic (1350m) at Doomben on May 21st. The winner of that race gains a start in the $1.5m, Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) with Waller commenting that the stable and connections can ‘dream’.
Sir Bacchus, out of the Encosta de Lago mare Bacchanal Woman, is owned by a large group including Laurel Oak Bacchus, Boeara Holdings, Mr F W Cook, Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Dirty Grey, Mr K R Lowe, Mrs M P Lowe, Mr A W Reichard, Mr J T O’Brien, Club Bacchus, Mr M W Powell, Mr N Macdonald, Mrs R H Richards, Mrs C M Cook and Mrs E K Grant and they celebrated accordingly after their win. Their runner has earned them stakes of $237,725 plus a $20,000 BOBS bonus.
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Images: Simon Bullard, Daily Telegraph