Funshow's gelding proves a masterstroke with Rosehill triumph

Nathan Doyle's astute decision to geld the promising sprinter Funshow has yielded spectacular results, with the emerging four-year-old completing a hat-trick of wins in the Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill.

Doyle conceded that Funshow possessed significant ability early in his racing career, but also displayed sufficient characteristics to convince the stable that gelding him was the appropriate move.

"Funshow was a rig but he showed us plenty," Doyle said. "I thought we will leave him a colt but then he got beaten a furlong in a trial so we thought better geld him. He was a big, dumb bugger early days so we had to be patient with him. But he's building confidence with every run and he loves to bowl along in front."

Ridden with precision by Tim Clark, the $13 outsider dictated the tempo before launching clear in the straight to claim victory by 1¼ lengths. Sponars ($18) and Barking Mad ($1.70 favourite) finished in a dead-heat for second.

The well-supported favourite, Columbus ($1.95), tracked the leaders but struggled to make an impact in the run to the line, showing some greenness in the process.

James McDonald suggested that the application of blinkers could aid Columbus in reaching his full potential.

Funshow has now strung together three consecutive wins and boasts a record of three victories and four placings from only seven career starts. Doyle was full of admiration for Clark's tactical ride.

"He racked them, stacked them then booted away on the corner – he just out-rode them," Doyle said.

Celebrating his birthday, Clark revealed the race unfolded exactly as he had envisioned.

"It looked like a race devoid of speed and he's the type of horse that likes to sort of get into a nice rhythm and flow along," Clark said. "He's building confidence as he goes through his preparation and is maturing all the time."

Doyle also offered an update on his stable's standout mare, Churchill's Choice, confirming her return to the training track following her winter break.

The talented mare has already earned a berth in The Big Dance after clinching the Hawkesbury Gold Cup, preceding luckless second placings in the Scone Cup and the Magic Millions National Classic.

"I think Churchill's Choice has a good race in her," Doyle said. "What she did in Queensland, she was a million-to-one like the caller said, so her form to finish so close blows your mind. The Big Dance has the big prizemoney but we are also after black type with her."

Doyle further confirmed that Hidden Motive, the winner of the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes, has also commenced pre-training at Newcastle.

"We are in no rush with him," Doyle said. "He's a Magic Millions horse which has good prizemoney for a horse like him."

Earlier in the day, Richard and Will Freedman inaugurated the new Sydney racing season with a victory when Attractiveness triumphed in the opening Midway Handicap (1400m).

"We are on top of the premiership," Will Freedman quipped after the win.

Sent off at $3.20, Attractiveness, expertly ridden by Chad Schofield, surged to the finish line to defeat Krasina ($5) by just over a length, with Cape Byron ($6) a further 2½ lengths adrift in third.

"She was strong late," Freedman said. "She has a good turn of foot like you saw there but I feel in three or four months time you will see a better horse again. I was never concerned about winning a Midway at some stage with her, I've always thought she had the ability to do that. But she is a late mature and a lot of those Kiwi pedigrees are like that so we are excited to see where she gets to."

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