Cosmic Force has had some promising stakes class three year-olds this season and one of them is Wonder Boy, who improved off his last second in the Group II ATC Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill to win the $200,000 Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on Saturday.
Trained by Jerome Hunter and ridden by Jamie Mott, Wonder Boy was a debut winner at Flemington at two before testing his mettle in stakes company last spring. Group placed several times, Wonder Boy had not quite been able to win since his debut success and connections were thrilled to get him back in that winning groove
Wonder Boy pulled out plenty when challenged and scored by half a length under 60kg, so it was a very good effort for a horse whose overall record now stands at two wins and four placings from nine starts with prizemoney topping $330,000.
“I think we’re seeing a better horse now,” said Jerome Hunter.
“Last preparation he was just a big young kid and now he knows what to do.
“We’ve got the Queensland Guineas in three weeks’ time, and we’ll just see where we are at with him. Long term, as long as he gets his ratings up, I’d like to get to the Golden Eagle.”
A $125,000 purchase for Graeme Gathercole’s Graebar Park from the Rothwell Park Thoroughbred draft at the 2022 National Weanling Sale, Wonder Boy was bred by Rothwell Park, Avesta Bloodstock and partners and is the best of three winners for classy stakes-placed Haradasun mare Beatniks.
Beatniks was bought by Kingstar Farm for $140,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and has a yearling colt by Wild Ruler that was sold by Kingstar at Inglis Classic this year for $60,000 to Moffatt Breaking & Pre Training.
Beatniks missed the next season so had no foal last year and was then covered again by cosmic Force.
Wonder Boy is the third stakes-winner, joining Give Me Space and Stay Focused, for Cosmic Force, whose fee has been set at $16,500 by Newgate Farm.
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