Sutton Grange trainer Brent Stanley has a high opinion of former Perth galloper Coming Around, and his view was vindicated at Flemington on Saturday.
The five-year-old was sent out as a $3 favourite in the $125,000 G.H. Mumm Plate over 1410m, and never looked like being beaten.
“His last couple of gallops were sensational,” Stanley said, predicting Coming Around would be sharper after his strong second in the Mildura Cup on July 24.
Previously in the stable of top Western Australian trainers Grant and Alana Williams, the galloper had won three in a row up to February 1, and there were not a lot of races in the west to suit him. He now has six wins from 15 starts.
Stanley welcomed the opportunity to prepare Coming Around, and the horse’s first open-class win on his first city outing in Melbourne was an inkling of better things to come.
Ridden off the pace by apprentice Liam Riordan, Coming Around relished carrying 54kg and loomed up near the 200m mark to soon overhaul second favourite Laburnam and win by two lengths.
The 23-year-old Riordan, who has had more than his share of injury setbacks, made it a double by riding outsider Jittery Jack to an all-the-way victory in the final event.
Riordan’s overuse of the whip on Jittery Jack led to a $1000 fine and a suspension for eight meetings.
Stanley’s Bendigo Cup winner Red Alto, now a nine-year-old with stake earnings of $637,000, finished in fifth place, and the trainer is hopeful he can get back to his best after a long spell.
