WONDER Boy returns to a happy hunting ground of Bendigo as he looks to make it successive feature wins at the course’s standalone race day on Saturday.
Last year, the Jerome Hunter-trained Wonder Boy captured the Bendigo Guineas for three-year-olds, and he returns a year later in the main race, the Bendigo Mile (1600m).
Wonder Boy had not won in eight subsequent starts until he finished strongly at his last start, when he was an impressive winner in a BM84 over 1600m on his home track at Mornington.
That was only the second time in his career he had run over 1600m, with his only other effort producing a sixth in last year’s G2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm.
Hunter told Racenet that he always believed Wonder Boy would handle 1600 metres.
Hunter said he worked out that it’s a case of less is more in terms of how to train Wonder Boy, as he didn’t cope with the usual amount of work a horse needed to run over 1600 metres.
As a result, Wonder Boy’s appearance is more well-built than lean.
There are several interesting runners in the Golden Mile that have attracted a field with depth.
At the top of the weights is Chris Waller’s dual Group 1 placegetter Osipenko and Cliff Brown’s Von Hauke, who ran fourth and fifth respectively in the Victoria Handicap last start over 1400m at Caulfield.
Von Hauke contested last year’s Golden Mile and finished an unlucky fourth behind Regal Zeus.
Gavin Bedggood’s last start winner of the Victoria Handicap, Hughes, will tackle 1600m for only the second time in his career.
The favourite with Unibet is Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Al Duca, who has won his past two starts at Flemington and Caulfield.
Al Duca is the $5.50 favourite with Unibet. Second favourite is Enxuto at $8.50.
