Kolding got back in the winning groove with victory in Saturday’s Gr1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Kolding raced in second place to the home turn before reaching the lead inside the final 200m and holding off stablemates Star Of The Seas (Ocean Park) and Imaging (Oasis Dream) to record his second win at the highest level and his fourth Group win from 23 starts.
The race was a triumph for trainer Chris Waller who saddled the first four home.
“The mile at Randwick is a great distance, you can stretch the sprinters out to a mile and keep the stayers fresh for this trip, you can encourage three-year-olds to run the mile,’’ Waller told Sky Racing.
“It’s a true test for the top horses and this is a great race because at this time of the year it is a fork in the road to go to so many of the good spring races.’
“To be fair it is the first time right-handed on a dry track which he needs. He doesn’t like the left-handed way of going, it was a disaster in Melbourne during the autumn.
“He still ran very well with a big weight in the Doncaster, that was his last good run, then we went one run too far (Queen Elizabeth Stakes). First-up was just too wet and he has bounced back with his last two runs.”
Kolding has 56.5kg in the Gr1 Epsom Handicap and Waller is concerned that is “too much weight”.
“He’s not really a chance to go to Melbourne so he might go to the Epsom,’’ the trainer said.
“But we don’t need to panic, he’s not really an Everest horse but we will keep everything open for Kolding.’’