Nine-month spell in Hunter Valley leads to Solspeil’s maiden win on Gold Coast

A ninth-month spell in the Hunter Valley has paved the way for Solspeil to secure his maiden win.

A NINE-MONTH spell in the Hunter Valley has paved the way for Solspeil to secure his maiden win.

The four-year-old gelding won Saturday’s Colts, Geldings and Entires Maiden Handicap (1400m) at the Aquis Park for Gold Coast trainer Marcus Wilson.

Solspeil settled towards the back of the field with jockey Glen Colless who steered the gelding five-wide down the straight, taking the lead in the final 100m before winning by three lengths.

The run came more than a year after Solspeil’s last race, a ninth in Toowoomba.

“It was a pretty big win and pretty impressive,” Wilson said.

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“He came to me as an unraced a three-year-old who probably didn’t show he was going to be up the grade in Sydney.

“He was a big, immature horse last preparation and pulled up shin sore after his second start at Toowoomba.

“He is a horse who is probably bred to be better with age and over a trip.

Aquis Park race day. Photo of race 2 winner SOLSPEIL. Jockey is Glen Colless. Trainer is Marcus Wilson. Photo by Richard Gosling

“We thought we would give him a good spell and we gave him about nine months out in the Hunter Valley.

“He came back a lot bigger and stronger horse and was working well. We gave him a couple of trials this time in and his first trial was good, he didn’t get beaten far I think only a couple of lengths. His second trial was fair.”

Aquis Park race day. Photo of race 2 winner SOLSPEIL. Jockey is Glen Colless. Trainer is Marcus Wilson. Photo by Richard Gosling

Solspeil, who had a throat operation as a two-year-old, was given a pair of visors for Saturday’s run and a cross-over noseband while the tongue-tie was taken off.

“The blinkers switched him on a bit but it was hard to say he was a winning chance on his form.

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“He was first up after a spell after 12 months. I thought if he could race up to his work then he is a top four chance.

“We thought they may be too sharp for him in the last bit but the way it turned out he was very strong and won quite easily.”

Wilson said he would look to bring Solspeil back to the track in the coming two or three weeks to race over 1400m or 1600m.