Wymark earns Australian Derby shot with Rosehill win

Connections of Wymark will pay the $44,000 late entry to fee to run in next weekend’s Australian Derby after the up-and-coming gelding collected his fourth successive win in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill.

The three-year-old has been a revelation this autumn, not least of all for his trainer Michael Freedman who originally had him slated as a sprinter-miler.

“I completely ballsed it up,” Freedman said.

“I had him pegged as a 1400, miler type early on. I sent him to the Gold Coast for a maiden up there and I said to the owners, ‘look it’s a $250,000 maiden, I don’t know if this bloke is ever going to run for $250 again’.

“He ran terrific up there and I think that trip away did do him some good. Now we’ve stepped his distances up he has just relished it and made me look like an idiot.”

While the first three races at Rosehill were won by horses near the fence and on speed, Wymark ($2.70 betting fav) settled several lengths off the pace and made his run down the centre of the track.

He took out the Tulloch Stakes (2000m) by three-quarters of a length over Noisy Boy ($21) with Saltcoats ($9.50) another half-neck away third.

Winning jockey Tommy Berry rode Wymark in work earlier in the week and said he hadn’t been as confident going into a race since Stay Inside’s Golden Slipper victory.

“I came in after his work on Tuesday and I said to Michael, ‘this horse is oozing so much confidence’,” Berry said.

“I said ‘he won’t get beat on the weekend’. It was just that bit of work.

“The last time I said to Michael one wouldn’t get beat, it was Stay Inside in the (Golden) Slipper I think. So, that’s how good he’s been going at home.”

Wymark wasn’t nominated for the ATC Australian Derby (2400m) but Fredman confirmed connections would pay the late entry fee to run, provided the horse came through Saturday’s race in good order.

“That would be the plan, as long as he pulls up well,” Freedman said.

“They’re only three once, he’s had a great prep so far and it’s a big carrot dangling in front of us.

“When you get these three-year-olds that are in really good form like he is, you’ve just got to go with that.”

Jay Ford was rapt with the performance of runner-up Noisy Boy and said he wouldn’t be out of place in the Derby if his owners decided to run.

“He is really coming into his own now we are stepping up in trip. If he backs up next week in the Derby he’ll run well again,” Ford said.

Like Wymark, Noisy Boy hasn’t been nominated for the race and connections will need to pay the late entry fee to secure him a start.