The Gai Waterhouse-trained Once Were Wild returned to the winners circle for the first time in nearly a year at Randwick’s 2011 AJC Derby Day on April 9, the four-year-old Johannesburg mare winning the $175,000 Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m).
In the ideal lead-up run to the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) in a fortnight, Once Were Wild landed in front early and bravely held on to her lead all-the-way and outclass her rivals with ease.
Winning jockey Nash Rawiller let Once Were Wild roll and while she was ridden aggressively she settled in well and broke away to lead by around three lengths throughout.
On the line Once Were Wild finished 1 ¾ lengths ahead of a fast finishing Anudjawun while the Lloyd Williams-owned C’est La Guerre got closer than expected, just a further quarter of a length away in third.
Stablemate to the winner, Older Than Time, was an eye-catching fourth and will also now head onto the Sydney Cup.
It had been a long time between drinks for Once Were Wild whose last victory was in the AJC Oaks in April of 2010.
Once Were Wild, purchased for just $50,000 at the Magic Millions Sales as a yearling, has now started 17 times for six wins earning close to $390,000 in prize money.
The price on Once Were Wild to win the 2011 Sydney Cup is now set to shorten so ensure you back her at the best Sydney Cup odds when markets reopen by signing up with Australia’s premier online bookmaker Luxbet today.
2011 Chairman’s Handicap Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | ONCE WERE WILD | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | - | 3 | 56kg | $8 |
| 2 | 14 | ANUDJAWUN (NZ) | Shaun Dwyer | Craig Williams | 1.8L | 5 | 52kg | $10 |
| 3 | 2 | C’EST LA GUERRE (NZ) | Robert Hickmott | Michael Rodd | 2L | 6 | 57.5kg | $10 |
| 4 | 10 | COUNT ENCOSTA | John P Thompson | Jim Byrne | 2.4L | 4 | 52kg | $21 |
| 4 | 8 | OLDER THAN TIME | Gai Waterhouse | Glen Boss | 2.4L | 13 | 52kg | $4.40F |
| 6 | 7 | STRIKE ONE (GB) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 5L | 15 | 52.5kg | $16 |
| 7 | 5 | TINSELTOWN (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Glyn Schofield | 5.3L | 7 | 55.5kg | $26 |
| 8 | 15 | SANDBERG | Guy Walter | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 5.8L | 1 | 52kg | $41 |
| 9 | 4 | SHOWCAUSE | Frank Ritchie | Corey Brown | 7L | 10 | 56kg | $7.50 |
| 10 | 13 | STAND TO GAIN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 8.3L | 11 | 52kg | $15 |
| 11 | 17 | CYBER CRIME | Guy Walter | Christian Reith | 8.6L | 2 | 52kg | $41 |
| 12 | 16 | THE PATRIOT | Luke Price | Peter Wells | 8.9L | 8 | 52kg | $151 |
| 13 | 6 | SAINT ENCOSTA | John P Thompson | Daniel Ganderton | 9.1L | 14 | 52.5kg | $26 |
| 14 | 1 | SPEED GIFTED (GB) | Lee Freedman | Hugh Bowman | 9.9L | 16 | 58kg | $13 |
| 15 | 12 | MISS DARCEY | Anthony Cummings | Rod Quinn | 10.2L | 9 | 52kg | $51 |
| 16 | 9 | MISS KEEPSAKE (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Nathan Berry (a0) | 10.3L | 12 | 52kg | $14 |
| SCRATCHED | 11 | GALIZANI | John P Thompson | Jim Cassidy | - | 0 | - | - |
