Inundation had been touted as one of the up-and-coming sprinters of the Winter, winning three races in a row, including a dominant three-length win last start but was nowhere to be seen today as Kooled ran out a strong winner.
Ridden by Alana Kelly, Kooled tracked the speed set by Inundation and Rock Artist and pounced in the straight to win by a length over Rock Artist, Inundation fading to finish fifth, beaten over six lengths.
Ben Brisbourne was hopeful of overturning the result from last start, citing the soft conditions as a key factor in Kooled’s performance.
“He’s done a great job, we’ve hit the post a few times in the last couple of weeks, but this fellow presented beautifully today,” Brisbourne said.
“Obviously we knew the favourite (Inundation) was going to go to this race and it might kick up a bit, we were just hoping for the rain to come, and we knew he’d relish it.”
Alana Kelly rode the horse for the first time and rode a smart race to keep the favourite in her sights.
“I jumped out and I was wary of where they were, but my horse ended up travelling so well… the way he bounced through that gap was super,” Kelly said.
Brisbourne also gave credit to stable apprentice Hannah Edgley who rides the horse in trackwork and has won on the horse twice.
“Special mention to Hannah Edgley who rides the horse every day, (she) gave instructions to the jockey so I didn’t have to and it’s all paid off nicely,” Brisbourne said.