Racing
Yamashita’s Gold on the board at Sandown
After promising a lot early in his career, Yamashita’s Gold has finally broken through for his maiden win at Sandown.
Yamashita's Gold has staved off the unkindest cut of all by breaking through for his maiden victory at Sandown.
The Gavin Bedggood-trained three-year-old took out the MRC Membership Feel The Thrill Plate (1000m) on Wednesday to register his first win in his six career starts.
Ridden by Jamie Mott, Yamashita's Gold ($8) powered home to score by a length from Covert Mission ($18) with Gunz ($4.80) a short-neck away third.
Yamashita's Gold proved a handful for the Bedggood team at his debut at Sandown earlier in the year and the trainer said if the colt was not by Wootton Bassett, he would already be a gelding.
Bedggood entered Wednesday's contest with two plans, one that included Yamashita's Gold being gelded if he had suffered another defeat.
"He's always shown us plenty, and he ran well here at his first start, but he just needed to go on and be a winner," Bedggood said.
"He's been running in good races, and we just needed to lower the sights and teach him to be a winner.
"He put on a fair performance here at his first start and broke (strapper) Mandeep's check-bone and he had to have a plate put in his jaw.
"If he wasn't by Wootton Basset, he probably would have had it done (gelding) after that.
"At home you wouldn't find a quieter horse and he's really starting to put it together now."
Yamashita's Gold's early starts had been in Stakes company, and Bedggood said he was in no hurry to be rushing back to that level – at least not yet.
But it will be up to the handicapper where Yamashita's Gold may head for his next outing.
"We'll have a look at the calendar and what the handicapper does with him now," Bedggood said.
"There was a benchmark 64 over 1000 metres coming up and whether he'll be weighted out of that, I'm not too sure, but I want to make a winner of him again if I can.
"If he couldn't come here and be winning today, he probably needed to be gelded and come back for a weaker time of year.
"Hopefully he can take a bit from today. He's learning with every start and really hitting the line and hopefully he can keep stepping up."
Check out our FREE Interactive Speed Maps for meetings in nine countries each and every day.