A new look Comin’ Through will be spelled before beginning a Spring Carnival preparation after claiming his maiden Group 1 win in the $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Comin’ Through, above, will now be set for a Spring Carnival campaign after winning the 2018 Doomben Cup at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Chris Waller always thought they Comin’ Through was a Group 1 performer but said that the four year old had finally realised his potential this campaign after being gelded.
“It was a tough decision, but (his owner) Sir Owen (Glenn) didn’t muck around. I asked him and he said yes the next day,” Waller said.
“My head was on the block to make sure he came out of it better, because obviously he’s a well-related horse.
“I do think it’s been the making of him, for sure. He was a pretty casual horse and he was taking a while to put it all together and that was a big part of it.”
Winning jockey Michael Walker said that he was never confident of winning the Doomben Cup as Comin’ Through ($9) was off the bit for the entire trip but to his credit the jockey and the horse never gave up and went on to beat the Waller trained stablemate Egg Tart ($15) by a neck.
The Anthony Freedman trained Ambitious ($9.50) ran a solid race for third while the $3.80 favourite Oregon’s Day filled fifth position.
“It was a gem of a ride from Michael Walker – I don’t know how he got in, drew close to the outside gate, and he slotted in one off the fence going past the post for the first time,” Waller told RSN 927’s Correct Weight.
Comin’ Through had been Group 1 placed as a three year old when third in the $1m Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick during the 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival but Waller had also been impressed with his form during this year’s Autumn Carnival at Randwick which produced a second to Happy Clapper in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) followed by a fifth to super star stablemate Winx in the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) .
“It’s the best form in Australia, if not the world,” Waller said.
“Take out Winx, you’ve got the best form in Australia – Gailo Chop, Humidor and Happy Clapper – they were the only four that beat him home [in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes].
“So that’s the best form around.
“We went to Queensland for a bit of confidence – and he ran second in the Doncaster prior to that.
“He just had no luck at the Gold Coast (Hollindale Stakes), he drew barrier three, he was three, four wide with no cover.”
Comin’ Through has now won six of his seventeen starts and has massed just over $1.6 million in prizemoney for his connections.
