Hendricus Wins Inglis Bonus Mile At Farm

Saturday, 19 November 2011 04:46

Talented colt Hendricus landed a huge betting plunge when he came from near the tail of the field to win Saturday's lucrative Inglis Bonus Mile at Warwick Farm.

The John O'Shea-trained colt was backed from $8 into $4.80 favouritism and arrived just in time to defeat Fat Al ($21) by half a neck with another long head to Falklands ($21).

The winner's previously unbeaten stablemate Colorado Claire was a drifter from $2.80 to $6 and after striking the front in the straight was claimed late to finish a close fourth.

The win of Hendricus in the 1600m event earned connections a $100,000 bonus from sale company William Inglis on top of the $42,000 first prizemoney and also the BOBS bonus.

O'Shea had targeted both Hendricus and Colorado Claire at the race and was thrilled with both performances.

"The colt was very good and I thought the filly was very game," O'Shea said.

"She (Colorado Claire) got to the front and got left there and the colt was always going to come late because of the tempo of the race and so forth.

"We're very proud of both horses. He is a talented colt and he's got a good race in him somewhere down the line because I thought that was a good race today."

Sydney's premier jockey Nash Rawiller was approached by O'Shea at trackwork recently to partner Hendricus having not ridden the colt in a race since his debut in April.

"I trialled him and really loved him early on but haven't had the opportunity to be on him since then," Rawiller said, adding the colt "would have been something beaten" had he not got up on the outside.

"The horses I was following into it weren't taking me into it quickly enough and I just had to bide my time turning for home."

Hendricus scored first-up on the Kensington track this preparation and O'Shea said the colt's tough run that day was the reason for a second-up failure.

He then finished an encouraging fifth against older horses at Rosehill last Saturday.

"I think both horses will have a little let up now and have some targets in the autumn," O'Shea said.

"Both are also eligible for the Inglis Guineas at Scone next year and it's just a matter of how we get there on the way."