VETERAN Swan Hill galloper The Wayfarer found himself going the right way again at Warracknabeal on Friday – but only after finding his way into the $27,000 Taylor’s Palace After The Last Handicap over 1000m courtesy of four scratchings.
And despite being three places out of a start after acceptances, the Nathan Hobson trained emergency runner was sent out second favourite in a pretty open betting affair.
The red-hot pick was $2.90 hope Bellentia, but the punters got that one terribly wrong; the horse managed to beat just one home in the 12 horse field.
As soon as the gates opened the familiar red and white of the Hobson stable leapt towards the lead, with rank outsider Adki the only other one interested in making a race of it.
Coming from barrier 13, apprentice hoop Makisha Salter seemed content edge her way across the front of the field to park The Wayfarer just outside the bolter and stay there until they were sweeping around the last bend.
At which point Adki’s moment in the spotlight dimmed very quickly and Salter kicked The Wayfarer into overdrive – eventually the official margin would be almost 3.5 lengths, but it could have been more if Salter had needed to, or could be bothered to, push harder.
It was the seventh win in The Wayfarer’s 55 starts – his second this year – and the seven-year-old gelding also has 16 other placings and close to $200,000 in the bank.
As good as the win was, Hobson said he was particularly delighted for Salter, making a comeback to the saddle after two months out following a race fall.
“Makisha suffered a concussion in the fall and has had to sit it out until the VRC medical team confirmed it was good for her to return to riding,” Hobson explained.
“So it was a fantastic ride by her, especially to get into such a strong position from the extremely wide draw we had.
“She knows the horse well so was able to make the most of that and when she ended up outside that pacemaker I was pretty confident we would be there at the end.”
Hobson said The Wayfarer has won four races for him since he took the horse over almost two years ago, which he agreed was not a bad return.
He said the horse will continue with his current preparation and is already looking at a race in Wagga next Monday over the same distance.
“We will keep plugging away with him because this time around he has been in pretty good form and thereabouts in most of his starts,” Hobson said.
“Overall all though, things are pretty quiet at the stables right now, a fair few of our horses are in the paddock and won’t be back until the spring and that run through to Christmas.
“Apart from the meeting at Wagga, and some jump outs at Kerang on Thursday, there’s not much happening with us.”
