WARRNAMBOOL trainer Alan Peterson has earmarked next year’s Wangoom Handicap at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival for his sprinter Run Diego after an impressive performance at Flemington yesterday.
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The five-year-old was edged out of a $100,000 1400-metre race in the final strides.
Peterson said Run Diego’s owners were over the moon with the effort.
“He jumped well and was running really well,” he said.
“It was just bad luck that our jockey Ryan (Moloney) got left in front earlier than we wanted to. Ryan said the horse got the wobbles up when he hit the front.
“He got going again over the concluding stages. It was a top effort. He’s been a very consistent horse.”
The former jockey said Run Diego would not run over summer.
“We’ll set him for the Wangoom. With any luck we’ll get some rain before the Wangoom. He finds an extra yard on wet tracks.”
Run Diego picked up $9000 for his connections from his third placing. His stake earnings are now more than $84,000.
Peterson’s other runner yesterday Kuakata, jumping from a maiden to listed race class, earned good reviews from top jockey Craig Newitt after finishing ninth in the $150,000 stakes over 1800 metres.
Peterson said Newitt indicated that on the home turn Kuakata may have run seven to eight lengths from the winner but he kept boxing on and finished just three lengths behind the victor, Flying Skipper.
“Craig was very impressed with the horse,” he said.
“He predicted that he was a city class horse in the making. We think his best form will be over 2000 metres.” Peterson said the three-year-old would now head to the spelling paddock.
Warrnambool trainer Bill Wilde had a frank message after his runner Lord Wimble ran fifth in the $100,000 open handicap (1600m) — forget it.
Wilde said Lord Wimble was running in career-best form but it didn’t help yesterday.
“I thought it was a super run,” Wilde said. “He had no luck. He’s a big horse who has a big stride. He lost momentum when he ran into a dead end. I think with an uninterrupted run he would have finished much closer to the winner. He was gallant in defeat. It’s just best to forget he went around.”
Meanwhile, Jenna Primmer, stable foreman for Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams, said Ready Diva should develop into a nice staying filly after running eighth in a $100,000 three-year-old fillies’ race over 1700 metres at Flemington yesterday.
“She missed the start and never got a clear run until the last 200 metres,” Primmer said.
“She held her own going to the finishing line.”