Brierly winner eyes off Annual
WARRNAMBOOL t rainer Symon Wilde described Gold Medals’ victory in the Brierly Steeple as “a dream come true”.
Tomorrow Gold Medals could give the trainer the chance to fulfil his ultimate goal of a Warrnambool Grand Slam by winning the Grand Annual Steeplechase.
“We’ve won a couple of cups and a Wangoom and now the Brierly — if we can win the Annual, we’ve got the full set, which would be perfect,” Wilde said.
Wilde said he would give the Grand Annual “serious consideration”.
“We’re definitely not saying no. I want to look after him. I’ll see how he gets over it but he won’t ever be on the weight again and the firm ground won’t make it as testing as on a wet track.”
In a thrilling finish, Gold Medals, ridden by Shane Jackson, held off Zed Em to win by a half a length.
“I’m thrilled to bits,” Wilde said. “We’ve been around the mark in this race and I think we’ve run four or five placings and it’s a race I’ve grown up with and wanted to win.”
Wilde said Gold Medals was his favourite horse and had delivered every season.
“He’s a special horse,” he said. “He won here as a twoyear-old, he’s won a Kevin Lafferty Hurdle, an Australian Steeple and a Terang Cup.”
Gold Medals started at $6 with last year’s winner Zed Em the $4.20 favourite, and Monarch Chimes ($4.80) was four lengths away third.
Wilde said he couldn’t understand why Gold Medals was at such good odds compared to Zed Em. “They fought out the Australian Steeple last year and he’s the best performed flat horse,” he said.
It was an action-packed Brierly early as Now And Zen lost his rider John Allen at the first fence. Now And Zen then went left and ran Zataglio off the track at the second jump.
Both Now And Zen and Allen returned without injury.
Trainer Darren Weir said he wasn’t certain whether Now And Zen would run in the Grand Annual as he thought missing having a run in the Brierly could affect his chances to run the 5500m of the $350,000 feature jumps race.