Three year-old colt Wilderness provided David Hayes and Tom Dabernig with the
perfect start to their new training partnership when he saluted as their first
runner.Wilderness was resuming from a spell following two unplaced runs in the autumn in good company and showed the benefit of a break and drop in class to forge clear and win the 1100 metre maiden by a length and a quarter with six lengths back to the third horse.
"He's still a little bit green so there is improvement in him. Very pleased to get a winner for Coolmore, they're good supporters of the stable," said Tom Dabernig.
"He's a horse we've always had a good opinion of and obviously we have spring on our doorstep and we'll be heading that way with him."
Wilderness was bought for $2.4 million by John Warren for Coolmore in partnership with China Horse Club and runs for a syndicate of high profile international bloodstock investors.
Bred by Makybe and consigned for sale by Tyreel Stud as agent, Wilderness is a half-brother to four-time Group I winner and exciting sire Starspangledbanner being the sixth winner for stakes-placed Gold Anthem.
This is of course the Circles of Gold family that has also produced globetrotting Group I winners Elvstroem and Haradasun as well as current boom Irish Galileo colt Highland Reel.
Gold Anthem had a Choisir colt sell for $450,000 at Inglis Easter this year and has a Fastnet Rock filly to follow.
She is due to foal again this spring to Fastnet Rock.
