Following two very impressive barrier trial wins, punters rallied behind Peter and Paul Snowden’s debutant Wild Ruler in Saturday’s $500,000 (RL) Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick and the handsome son of Snitzel did not let them down.
Travelling sweetly in third place on the rails, Wild Ruler reacted immediately to Kerrin McEvoy’s urgings setting up a winning break at the 200 metres before safely holding the challenge of the fast-finishing Bull Point colt Encountabull by a length with the Vancouver filly Canadian Spice doing her best work in the later stages a length and a half back in third.
"He did so much wrong but still managed to win quite comfortably," Snowden told AAP.
"He has got a bit of substance to him. He will be on a Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper preparation.
"He is a pretty good horse, he is still learning.He's got height and length and there is a bit to work with there so it's important to get these runs on the board early.
Kerrin McEvoy said that he was confident Wild Ruler will measure up in the Group 1 two-year-old features in the autumn.
"It was a quality win," McEvoy said.
"He's got a nice way about him, he's got speed but was out-sped early. We took a sit and I liked the way he picked up when I wanted to go.
"He's done it there in what I'd say is not a bad two-year-old race."
Purchased by China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock / WinStar for $525,000 out of the Kia Ora Stud draft at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Wild Ruler is the third foal and second winner out of the smart racemare Gypsy Robin (USA) whose second foal Uluru (Fastnet Rock) broke his maiden at his most recent start at Pakenham.
Her first foal Caravan, a sister to Wild Ruler, placed in three of her four starts after being purchased at the Inglis July Monthly Online Sale for $35,000.
An imported daughter of the Awesome Again stallion Daaher, Gypsy Robin (USA) won six races from 12 starts in the States including a pair of Grade II stakes and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga.
Gypsy Robin (USA) does not have a yearling this year but she foaled a filly by the Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (USA) on September 24.
Wild Ruler is Snitzel's 94th stakes-winner and his third winner of the race after Chance Bye and Odyssey Moon.
