Kiwi makes Aussie debut in Wangoom Handicap

Class rose to the top with Group 1 winner Tuvulu lumping a big weight to victory in the Listed Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambool.

Regarded as the ‘Newmarket of the bush’ Tuvalu carried 61.5kg to land the 1200m contest on Wednesday and earn himself a trip to Queensland for the Winter Carnival.

Ridden by Fred Kersley, Tuvalu $9.50 in betting led throughout to score by 1-¼ lengths from It’sourtime ($21) with Flash Flood ($11) a length away third.

Trainer Lindsey Smith did not expect Tuvalu to lead, despite the track favouring front-runners and horses positioned on the rail.

“When he came down Fred, he said he was going to find the fence,” Smith said.

“He said was that OK, and I said, ‘good luck if you can pull that off’.

“He’s a horse that is undefeated here and I’ve changed his training to keep him on the fresh side.

“His jump-outs have been good, but I didn’t expect him to lead, but it is one of those days that if he sits back, he has no hope.

“He was the best horse, and we let the jockey do the steering.”

Tuvalu will now head to Queensland for the upcoming Carnival with a new trainer to be sourced

Smith said he cannot afford the time to winter himself in Queensland.

“He will go to Queensland, but it won’t be with me, I have to stay home,” Smith said.

“The owners have a relationship with Chris Munce, so that’s where he will probably go.”

Kersley, who has become a mainstay of the Smith stable, said it was a great training performance to win the Wangoom Handicap first-up with the big weight.

“We all know his best trip is 1400 metres, a mile, and yes, he is a Group 1 winner, but he was giving seven kilos to some sharp 1200-metre horses,” Kersley said.

“He can train this bloke.

“He is a tough horse, a Group 1 horse and yes, the track was playing on pace and the rail was where you wanted to be, but he had to do it out of his comfort zone throughout.”