As much as five lengths behind the last horse during the run, Winning Rupert 2yo Cool Gent stormed home through the middle of the field to secure the $160,000 Listed BRC Oxlade Stakes (1200m) for trainers Shane and Adam Barling.
Having broken his maiden two starts back over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast, the Winning Rupert gelding was having his second start this time in and appeared to appreciate the heavy nine Eagle Farm track conditions.
Unwanted in the betting, jumping away as the one of the outsider in the 14-horse field, Sydney-based jockey Tyler Schiller settled the gelding in last after jumping from barrier 13.
With last start $1m Magic Millions National 2YO Classic fifth placed Marffiano jumping away the race favourite, the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Home Affairs colt settled in a mid-field position while the Paul Butterworth trained Run Like A Girl took up the running.
Reaching the 300m mark, Run Like A Girl still had the lead, but the runs were coming from everywhere as the Jordan Childs ridden Areprice charged along the inside and looked as if he might take the prize.
Just as Marffiano stared to highlight himself as a winning chance, Schiller and Cool Gent had weaved their way through the pack from last to secure victory by three parts of a length in what was a super impressive performance by the juvenile.
Co-trainer Adam Barling has always had faith in the horse.
“He's a horse that's had a lot of ability,” said Barling. “With the prices today that came up, he does do a little but wrong in the barriers; getting out and so forth.”
“We've done a lot of work to try and rectify that. I put my head down when the gates opened and he still knows how to get the job done.
“I bought him at the Magic Millions. Liam Birchley let me pick him out and we purchased him for $9,000. Can't thank him enough. He's a master of babies and he has helped us so much through this process."
As a pick up ride for jockey Tyler Schiller, he was clearly excited by the win.
“It's unreal,” enthused Schiller. “I feel like, yesterday at lunchtime they rang my manager and asked if I could ride.”
“You don't think an outsider in the field could be a winning chance but I was going to be here all day so I thought I may as well take the ride.
“I felt like I'd gone a bit fast early. I was struggling to keep up and I was just trying to keep him in a good rhythm which we discussed before the race to keep him flowing.
“I was hoping to be midfield with cover somewhere but they were going too quick for him. To his credit, the last 200 (metres), he just picked up like he'd just joined in and he went through the line like a really nice horse looking possibly for a bit further.
"He's never a horse that is going to put himself in the race, but over 1400 or a mile, he might be able to tack on and sit midfield and no be run off his feet."
“Geez, he's done a terrific job, the horse, and the team back at home to get him here.
“He loves wet ground so I was surprised he was such a big price. But, also, with his form, he hasn't been in the strongest races.
"He's got the job done today."
Purchased for just $9,000 by Adam Barling from the Marlou Park draft at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale, the Mr M Richards and Mrs Louise Richards-bred Cool Gent is the third winner, and first at black type level from four to the races out of the Not A Single Doubt mare Snip Me Not.
A half-brother to the Listed Pheland Ready Stakes third placed Butwedid (Performer), the gelding took his earnings to $121,685, a great return on his purchase price.
Cool Gent became the seventh stakes winner for Written Tycoon's G2 Champagne Classic winner Winning Rupert who stands for $6,600 (inc. GST) at Western Australia’s Westbury Park Stud.
