Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup-winning owner Sean Phillips summed up the roller coaster ride he has enjoyed with his prized horse Wild One when saying at the end of his victory speech on Saturday, “He’s my Wild One”, and this will certainly become of one of racing’s feel good stories of the year.
Despite being six-years-of-age the Mike de Kock-trained Scott Brothers-bred Mogok gelding is at present as sound as a bell and relatively lightly raced, so he will likely be an interesting contender this season in big races like the Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup and others.
In Wild One’s first start for De Kock in May last year he gave Phillips a first ever Graded victory, winning the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m, and he followed up by finishing a 0,5 length second in the Gold Cup over 3200m.
However, a soft tissue injury then saw him side-lined.
Phillips later reached a point where he had become “disappointed” with the game and organised a dispersal sale at Summerveld.
He takes up the story, “I expected to get at least half-a-million for Wild One but he quickly went down from 500, to 400, 300, 200, I put in an offer at 200 and nobody else counterbid. I believed he was worth far more than that so kept him.”
The lack of bidding was perhaps not surprising considering the long layoff and Wild One also having been a notable scratching from the SANSUI Summer Cup.
In fact De Kock had initially believed the injury might be “career ending”, and praised Phillips for his “heart and patience” and allowing the yard time to bring the horse back to soundness.
The amazing faith Phillips showed in the gallant bay gelding has paid handsome dividends as he has earned over a million rand in his first three comeback runs.
Furthermore, Phillips admitted the Gold Cup win had “most definitely” re-ignited his own fervour for the game.
Phillips praised “the genius” of De Kock. He added that without disputing the skills of his many friends in training he was now of the firm belief that it was a “must” to send a top horse to a trainer who had had a lot of big race experience and success and this was especially the case where there was international opportunity, which he believed Wild One had. He said, “It’s these type of wins that make us come back.”
Wild One’s win provided De Kock with a third Gold Cup victory and saw Anthony Delpech ending a hoodoo, as he has come second in the country’s premier staying race on no fewer than six occasions.
De Kock and Delpech had an early morning start last Tuesday when leaving the Wild Coast at 4:30 a.m in order to gallop Wild One at Summerveld, before returning to the coastal resort to play in the second round of the popular Gold Circle Racing Masters golf tournament. De Kock said before and after the race that Wild One had enjoyed an absolutely faultless preparation.
Phillips, having begun Saturday just thrilled to have two Gold Cup horses running in his colours, was pinching himself as the other one, the Joey Soma-trained Savage Wind, finished third.
He said, “I’m over the moon and very happy for Joey too, he’s done a great job for us as well.”
Wild One was spotted at the Suncoast Casino KZN Yearling Sale of 2011 by Summerveld trainer Jeff Freedman, who bought him for R95,000.
Phillips became the sole owner and it was soon clear that he and Freedman had a good horse in their hands.
However, the first up-and-down moment happened on day one of Wild One’s racing career.
The connections were confident he would win that debut over 1450m at Clairwood on 10 October, 2012 and Wild One was consequently backed in from 25/1 to 48/10. He duly won, but alas, the hot favourite Flyfirstclass was then declared a non-runner, having been adjudged to have not had a fair start, and all bookmaker winning bets were subjected to a massive deduction.
Wild One was already showing signs of ideally needing further after a subsequent third in the Listed KZN Guineas Trial and a strong-finishing sixth in the Dingaans.
In his second career victory over 1600m at Greyville he ran all over the course and has raced in blinkers ever since.
In first-time blinkers he was a very unlucky 0,5 length second in the Listed Derby Trial at Turffontein.
Potential buyers began showing an interest after he had subsequently finished third in the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m, having been dropped out from a wide draw and running on strongly.
However, Phillips held on and a dream came true when Wild One was accepted into the 2013 Vodacom Durban July field, despite an unlucky unplaced run in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. Wild One finished unplaced in the July but Phillips, dressed in his yellow and red suit to reflect the colours, had a memorable day out with family and friends.
Freedman then took a share in the horse, but Wild One appeared to lose his way a bit and five runs later, after finishing fourth out of five runners in a Non-Black Type event over 1950m at Scottsville, Phillips wondered whether the horse was as good as they had originally believed. He was probably lamenting not having accepted those earlier offers to sell.
There was more disappointment next time out when only managing a 5,5 length fourth in a Graduation Plate over 1600m at Clairwood, although in retrospect the winner was none other than Futura.
However, Phillips retained faith and after becoming sole owner again he sent the horse to De Kock.
Having shown such versatility in his last three runs from 1600m up to 3200m the world now appears to be Wild One’s oyster and Phillips is in for some more of those heady highs and lows that are always part and parcel of the Sport Of Kings.
By David Thiselton
