Sunshine Coast trainer Darryl Hansen declared Vo Heart is the best horse he has trained after the two year old took out the Group 2 $175,000 Bollinger Champagne Classic (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

Vo Heart takes out G2 Champagne Stakes at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Hansen who has only recently returned to the training ranks and had a pretty handy galloper in Essington who was able to win at listed level winning the 2011 Ascot Handicap (1200m) but he has known for a long time that Vo Heart was going to be special.

“Since I’ve had him as a yearling he’s showed me so much,” Hansen said.

“He’s just done a lot of things wrong and he’s finally starting to put it together.”

“He’s the best horse I’ve laid a hand on and I hope it all comes to fruition.”

Hansen will aim Vo Heart towards the Group 2 $250,000 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Doomben on May 25 and then depending on how he handles the extra distance the Group 1 $500,000 Patinack Farm J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 8.

Jockey Eddie Wilkinson had Vo Heart nice and handy as the rain continued to fall during the running of the race and was able to have a clear run down the straight to score by a neck from the Chris Waller trained former New Zealand youngster Vilanova.

Wilkinson was happy when the rain arrived recalling that Vo Heart won his maiden on a heavy track at Doomben two starts back.

“He’s a really nice horse. I was really happy to see the rain come because when he won at Doomben a couple of starts back it was a heavy track, he relished it and it happened again today,” Wilkinson said.”

“We’ll be pressing onto the Sires.”

Following the Champagne Classic for the two year olds, the Eagle Farm track was downgraded from a good 3 to a slow 7 after a very heavy downpour before and during the running of the race.