A Colossal courageous victory

Colossal Star overcame a very wide run to score a gutsy victory at Geelong on Friday. 244262 Pictures: REG RYAN/RACING PHOTOS

By David Nagel

Pakenham trainer Jason Bridgman has worked out the key to translating some great track work form into race day wins with his four-year-old gelding Colossal Star.

Bridgman – who is in great form himself after training Moski to victory at Pakenham last week – was back in the winner’s stall just six days later after Colossal Star scored a gritty and grinding victory in the $35,000 BM58 Handicap (1447m) at Geelong on Friday.

Bridgman explained post-race that Colossal Star was exactly that – a colossal star – after some impressive jump out form prior to his race-day debut in September last year.

The son of Hussonet/Origami Miss showed some initial good signs, running placings at his first two starts before some firmer ground affected his natural stride.

Bridgman believes he has now found the key to success.

“We’ve always had a good opinion of the horse, he won his first six or seven jump-outs and was unbeaten, but then when we hit the good tracks he would jar up and wouldn’t let down,” Bridgman said.

“Now we know that we just keep him to the softer tracks during the winter and spring and we think we’ve got a really progressive horse.”

Colossal Star certainly didn’t do things the easy way on Friday, overcoming a sticky gate and a very wide run throughout to score a determined half-length victory.

Jockey Jason Benbow was never closer than four or five wide for the entire journey and was caught on a limb as the field turned for home.

But Colossal Star defied his tough run to hit the front at the 200-metre mark and hold off the strong challenge of Lion’s Tooth and Elvaric. The three placegetters put a gap in the opposition to suggest a good form line moving forward.

Bridgman said Colossal Star’s win – back-to-back after his maiden victory at Werribee on June 27 – was certainly his toughest performance to date.

“It was a gutsy effort, it wasn’t a pretty watch, he certainly had to be the best horse today,” Bridgman told Racing.com after the race.

“Jason (Benbow) just had no real option from that gate, he was always going to have to take what he could get, and credit to the horse and rider, they were both very game to the line.”

Consecutive victories have now improved Colossal Star’s record to two wins from eight starts and an accumulation of $48,000 in prizemoney.