Image: Eclare Productions
Wentwood Grange graduate Kolding claimed the second Group One win of his career in the Gr.1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The five-year-old son of Ocean Park was a star of the spring last season, winning the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and the inaugural winner of the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m).
Jockey Tommy Berry rode Kolding forward from barrier seven settling him in second position outside of the leader Dreamforce, before quickening at the 300m mark and repelling his stable mates Star of the Seas and Imaging to win by 0.4 lengths.
“He switched off really well for me today which gave him a chance to finish off nice and strongly at the end,” Berry said.
“It was good to see him return back to form, obviously the dry tracks have been a big help to him, and Chris (Waller – Trainer) has just nursed him back into good form.
“I couldn’t sleep last night so at about two o’clock I went back through all his replays, and watched his Golden Eagle and Epsom wins and jeez he was the best horse in Australia at that stage so I knew he only had to return close to that form and he would be hard to beat today.”
Trainer Chris Waller didn’t confirm Kolding’s next target, but he did rule out a return to Melbourne, where he didn’t like racing left-handed previously and said a second Epsom was unlikely due to his 56.5kg handicap.
“Maybe he is our George Ryder horse for the autumn,” Waller said.
“There are races like the Yes Yes Yes at the end of the carnival. We will keep everything open.”
Kolding was bred by Wentwood Grange in partnership with retired Australian businessman and former professional rugby league player, Warren Pegg, a long-time client of the Hawkins’ family.
Kolding is out of the Danzero mare Magic Star, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Make Mine Magic. Magic Star has produced eight foals, seven winners including stakes winners Sampson and Miss Upstart in addition to Kolding.
Kolding was purchased by bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster out of Wentwood’s 2017 Premier Yearling Sale draft for $170,000 and he is raced by Neville and Judy Morgan.
Saturday’s win took his earnings to over $A5.6 million.
