El Segundo's Little Brother Wins
- Friday, 23 July 2010 07:45
Three-year-old El Stupendo, the little brother of 2007 Cox Plate winner El Segundo, has surprised his connections with his first win at Geelong.
Having only his second race start, the chestnut son of Pins and Palos Verdes was ridden by Luke Nolen and, heavily backed at $1.90 favourite, sprinted home from off the pace to score a 1-1/2 length victory over Power Cat in Friday's Chisholm Petroleum Maiden Plate (1300m).
El Stupendo had finished third on the Geelong synthetic track at his only other start on June 29.
"We didn't think he would ever win a race under 1400 metres," trainer Colin Little said.
Little, who also prepared El Segundo, said there were few similarities between the four-time Group One winner of nearly $4 million in stakes and El Stupendo.
"Obviously they are a different colour and this bloke (El Stupendo) has taken a bit of time getting here," Little said.
"He is totally laid-back and he doesn't have the brilliance of El Segundo."
Nolen said El Stupendo was under pressure in the home straight and felt he wouldn't win.
"I didn't think he was going to pick up the leaders," Nolen said.
Nolen, who won the Cox Plate on El Segundo, said El Stupendo had been a progressive horse this campaign and would only get better as his race distances increased.
"The world is his oyster," Nolen said.
"He's got big shoes to fill to replace El Segundo but he's on his way.
"When I got off him (El Stupendo) after a trial I said he wouldn't win until he got to seven furlongs (1400m) so he has made a liar of me already."
Little said El Stupendo was shaping as a stayer and was unsure how far he would push on this campaign.
"He will definitely get a distance but it is a bit of a leap to the spring as he's going to be a four-year-old then taking on all-comers," Little said.
Picture: Quentin Lang
