BRISBANE - Talented Gold Coast youngster Five O'Clock has emerged as a serious contender for next month's A$2 million Magic Millions Classic with an eye-catching performance to win at Doomben on Saturday.
The Alan Bailey-trained gelding stormed home from last on the home turn to snatch victory by a long
neck over Noisy Ocean in the Coca Cola Handicap (1110m).
Five O'Clock, a son of Dane Shadow, cost A$37,000 at the Magic Millions yearling sales and has already returned a handy profit for his connections with A$69,000 in prizemoney from two wins in three starts.
Five O'Clock let his supporters down when beaten into third place by Playtime last start at Eagle Farm on December 4.
"He wanted to hang the other day," Bailey said on Saturday.
"He's still very immature and doesn't know what it is all about yet.
"I put some new gear on him on Tuesday and he worked brilliantly so I decided to go with it today."
Bailey instructed jockey Glen Colless to be patient with Five O'Clock and the tactic paid off handsomely after the 2-year-old was shuffled back to last.
"Glen rode him quietly as I told him and he hit the line really strongly," Bailey said. "I don't like overtaxing young horses so he'll have one more start in the Magic Millions and then go for a break.
"He'll need to draw an alley in the Magic Millions as it's the type of race you can't afford to give them a start."
Colless told Bailey the gear change worked well but the youngster still proved a handful during the run.
"At the 600m he just ran out on me," Colless said.
"He's a handful to ride because he's got such a light mouth.
"Even though he had horses on his outside when I was stuck in on the fence he still ran about."Meanwhile, further south, Pane In The Glass built on her successful Brisbane debut to claim the A$150,000 first prize from the Inglis Nursery at Randwick on Saturday for the Patinack Farm operation.
All honours were with Pane In The Glass ($5.50) who dashed to a three-length win over Jackpot Queen ($26) with Pure Force ($14) a long head away third. "We have always rated her a nice filly," Patinack chief executive Peter Beer said.
"We have 88 2-year-olds in work at the moment."
- AAP
