3 minute read

Class prevailed when Sydney-trained Messene delivered an emotional win for local owner George Cloros in Friday’s $150,000 Wagga Gold Cup.

A well-judged ride by Blake Shinn paved the way for topweight Messene to return to the winning list, giving co-trainer John Hawkes a second Wagga Cup win 23 years after his first with Antwerp when he trained by the Ingham family.

Hawkes and his trainer partner sons Wayne and Michael started Messene at the request of George Cloros, a retired Wagga businessman who has been a prominent owner for three decades with numerous high grade winners previously trained by Tommy Smith and Gai Waterhouse.

The win continued a great week for Team Hawkes coming six days after their champion sprinter Chautauqua’s first international win in Hong Kong.

Shinn took Messene to the front at the 1600m and from there the favourite dictated to run out a strong two lengths over Iggi Pop with Victorian-trained Adirondack third, a half length away.

Michael Hawkes said Messene deserved the win as the seven-year-old, who won nine of his first 12 starts as a younger horse, had been out of the wining list since he won the G2 Ajax Stakes in 2014.

“He’s an old timer but he’s been the pinnacle of our stable,” said Michael Hawkes. “He hasn’t won a race in a long time but he’s won a lot of money.

“Blake did the right thing, it took a while to get him to the front but that was the game plan.”

“We go from Hong Kong one minute to Wagga the next - we just love winning races.”

Fourth placegetter Grand Proposal had to be humanely put down after breaking down in the last 200m when she fractured a sesamoid.

The John Thompson-trained three-year-old Invincible Knight won the Wagga Guineas to earn a trip to Brisbane for the G2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm on June 11.