IT wasn’t a home game but it mattered nought to Jake Hull.
The young Gosford trainer, who has seamlessly transitioned from the riding ranks, won the
Provincial Maiden Handicap (1250m) at Gosford Race Club’s transferred meeting at Newcastle with Prosperous Dragon ($8).
Ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, the four-year-old was having only his second start and led
throughout to defeat $3 favorite The Eyes Have It.
Hull admitted afterwards that the only surprising part about his gelding’s win was his starting price.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “Prosperous Dragon led and ran an excellent third in an 1100m Maiden at Wyong on December 21 when on debut.
“The runner-up (Believe In Angels) that day came out and won at Warwick Farm two days ago, so the form stacked up, and I was confident my horse had improved and would handle the extra distance.”
Owner Phil Bishop’s Equi-Com Syndications purchased Prosperous Dragon for $40,000 at the 2022 Inglis Ready2Race sale in Sydney as an unraced early two-year-old, and the youngster started off in Queensland.
“He didn’t trial or race there, and Phil called and said he had a nice horse for me to train,” Hull explained.
“When I looked at his breeding (by Russian Revolution from Easy To Read), I was happy to take him.
“His half-sister Dyslexic (by Foxwedge) won three races and was twice Group 2 placed.”
However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing to get Prosperous Dragon to the races.
“He is a big heavy horse and we’ve had to be patient, and Phil has been patient as well,” Hull said.
“Prosperous Dragon had five trials last year and won four of them, and was hard held in the other when a close second at Hawkesbury in November.
“Our patience has been rewarded, but we’re still not in any hurry with him.
“Now that he has got his maiden out of the way, I’ll see how he pulls up and he may even go out for a break.”
Hull has spelled his recent Coffs Harbour winner, promising three-year-old Red Spector, who also scored at only his second start on December 30.
Fellow provincial trainers Paul Perry (Newcastle) and Kim Waugh (Wyong) also were winners at the transferred Gosford fixture.
Perry took the CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap (1250m) with $9 chance Angara, ridden by apprentice Anna Roper, and Waugh won the Class 1 Handicap (1500m) with a strong-finishing $19 chance Mizella, partnered by Jay Ford. Story by John Curtis, 10 January, 2025.
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