Deigo Bay raw but showing potential

WITH a bit more maturity on his side next preparation, Cairns trainer Fred Wieland is looking forward to seeing what Deigo Bay might become.

The lightly raced four-yearold has put together a smart first preparation of his young career, never running worse than third in his six starts, collecting his second win yesterday afternoon on his home track.

The bay gelding is still very green and has some learning to do but his first six trips to the races show Deigo Bay has a promising future.

It was an interestingly run Class 2 Handicap yesterday as visiting rider Adam Sewell (pictured) took off at the 600m mark, sweeping up from fourth in the field to lead as they turned for home.

Post-race, Wieland noted Sewell, in his first booking on the horse, may have pushed the button a little early.

But the 24-year-old Sewell judged it perfectly, in the end, lifting Deigo Bay ahead of

Scott Cooper’s High Dive in the final stages over 1250m.

“He is tricky to ride … when everything started to come around me at the 600m, I thought I better get going,” Sewell said.

“The whole time down the straight, he was going to win, but he did not want to put the inside horse (He’s Blessed) to bed, he just wanted to lay all over it.

“Once he works it out, he is a nice horse.”

Sewell, a regular in Townsville and Mackay, does not often make the long trip north to Cannon Park but with fellow fly-in riders like Justin

Stanley and Brad Pengelly not in FNQ yesterday, he picked up a nice book of rides.

“Plenty of frequent flyers of late,” Sewell said with a smile.

Cairns Jockey Club president Tom Hedley almost collected the trifecta himself in the Class 2 Handicap, with three of his four horses running in the top four.

Trainer Wieland flagged a spell would be the next task for Deigo Bay after six starts since October.

“The horse does not learn very quick,” Wieland said.

“The horse needs to learn and improve his race manners.

“I am sure he will go home for a bit of a break now, he has deserved it. He needs a bit more maturity and that will come with racing.”

Meanwhile, the drive from Townsville was worth it for trainer Georgie Bourke as her one starter, Confronting, saluted in the Open Handicap over 1250m.

Bourke’s team are firing of late, as all six of her runners ran inside the top four, claiming one winner and two seconds, at Townsville on Friday.

Confronting, ridden by Les Tilley, got his nose down on the line yesterday afternoon to upset the locally-trained Desert Cowboy.