SPREYTON trainer Glenn Stevenson celebrated his first feature race win when his gallant six-year-old I’m Wesley stormed home to win the $100,000 Listed Newmarket Handicap over 1200 metres in Launceston last night.
I’m Wesley ($5.50 into $2.20) broke the track record in Launceston at his previous start and punters warmed to the feat by backing him in from $6 to start the $2.80 favourite ahead of Lord Da Vinci that drifted to $3.20.
Former Tasmanian apprentice Raquel Clark partnered I’m Wesley and she had him in the top position one-out with cover just off the leader Gee Gee Red Prince.
When the leader kicked clear it looked for a fleeting moment that he might have stolen a winning margin but when Clark called on I’m Wesley for the supreme effort he dug deep and powered home to defeat Lord Da Vinci ($2.25 out to $3.50) by over a length with Gee Gee Red Prince ($15) hanging on for third just in advance of his stablemate Geegees Doublejay.
“This is the best night of my life,” an emotional Stevenson said.
“I set this horse for the race a long time ago and to have actually done it is an incredible feeling. I am so proud of the horse because he has had his share of issues to contend with but he keeps on stepping up to the plate and hitting home runs. We’ll take a breath and look at what we can go to next but I’m sure there are some nice races for him during the Tasmanian summer carnival.”
Lord Da Vinci was game in defeat as he was forced to cover extra ground out wide from a wide draw and Gee Gee Red Prince proved he is going to be competitive in feature races in the coming months.
It was a great homecoming for Clark who was booked last week to ride I’m Wesley in the Newmarket as she had already partnered the gelding twice for two wins.
“I was rapt to come home and ride I’m Wesley. I believed he was the one to beat and everything during the race panned out perfectly,” Clark said.
Clark, who relocated to South Australia in February to further her career under the guidance of Australian Hall of Fame trainer Leon Macdonald, will remain in Tasmania for at least a week as she started a seven-meeting suspension prior to returning to her home state.
“I got two suspensions at the same meeting on Melbourne Cup day and I was hoping the stewards would have ordered them to be served concurrently but they didn’t.”
Clark was Tasmania’s premier apprentice before heading to SA.
“This is the race I came home for and I’m ever so grateful to Glenn for giving me the ride.
“I won two races on this horse at Devonport during the winter carnival so I knew he was a serious chance.”
Stevenson said he would wait until the dust settled before making any firm plans for I’m Wesley heading into the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival that starts in January.