Dylan Gibbons back in metropolitan winner’s circle

Dylan Gibbons has celebrated his first city win since returning from a shoulder reconstruction with a rails-hugging ride aboard the Queensland Derby-bound Sacro Catino.

Gibbons spent more than four months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery last year and only returned to race riding last month.

His credited the breakthrough victory aboard Sacro Catino in Wednesday’s $100,000 Super Maiden (1600m) to the nous of trainer David Payne, who had the three-year-old ready to perform first-up.

“He’s a smart man Dave and he can fly under the radar,” Gibbons said.

“The trial didn’t blow me away but he’s a master at that. It’s just another prime example of the stayers he likes to buy and how they keep improving.”

Sacro Catino was having his sixth start and Payne said the horse had taken time to mature but was starting to hit his straps.

He hoped to give him another run or two in Sydney before heading north for a Queensland Derby bid.

“I’m glad for Dylan as well. It’s his first winner for a while,” Payne said.

“We’re going to head to the Derby in Brisbane. We’ve always thought he was going to stay all day.

“We will just get him qualified and look for a 2000 metre race in Sydney first.”

Peter Snowden also has long-range Brisbane winter carnival ambitions for Media World, last year’s Clarendon Stakes winner who resumed with a gritty triumph in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1200m).

The colt wasn’t disgraced against the likes of stakes performers Autumn Glow, Lady Shenandoah and Swiftfalcon last year and Snowden said he would look at taking Media World to the Hawkesbury Guineas second-up ahead of a Queensland trip.

“There is good progress there. The plan was, if he ran well today, to go to the Hawkesbury Guineas with him and I don’t think that will change,” Snowden said.

“I have always thought a bit of him. He’s still a colt and we thought we’d give him one more preparation and hopefully he could make a name somewhere between here and Brisbane for (owners) Yulong.

“He’s a terrific horse to work with. He’s got a good nature, he’s a kind horse and he’s got his share of ability.”