Former Kiwi galloper Desperado (NZ) (Ghibellines) relished the rain-affected conditions at Caulfield on Saturday as he powered to victory in the Whisky, Wine & Fire Handicap (2000m) under jockey John Allen.
Prepared by Ciaron Maher, the six-year-old son of Ghibellines was initially prepared in New Zealand by Brian and Shane Anderton for whom he won a Gore maiden before being sold to Australia.
The hardy gelding has now won five of his 18 career starts, with a further four placings and races in the colours of prominent owner Rod Lyons, with Brian Anderton and his late wife Lorraine remaining in the ownership group.
Desperado came from midfield in a perfectly timed run and raced away for a soft length and a quarter victory.
“He is a quirky horse. He likes that suck run, to be back and not be there too early, so it worked out in his favour,” stable repetitive Declan Maher said.
“He is having a good preparation. He went up and ran well in Sydney and then we brought him back down to Ballarat again and he is a horse that you don’t need to do a lot with. You just have to keep a smile on his face and put him in the right race.”
Maher said the middle-distance performer who has now won A$245,162 in prizemoney is likely to carry on through the winter months.
“Now that he is up and fit and racing, he doesn’t require a lot of work. He only has one gallop into his runs and he turns up and he is a naturally fit athletic Kiwi,” Maher said.
“We don’t have to do a lot with him and he handles wet ground so we might as well keep pushing on.”
Bred by Brian and Lorraine Anderton, Desperado is a true White Robe Lodge product as a son of Ghibellines (AUS) out of the two-time winning Yamanin Vital (NZ) mare Carefree (NZ).
