First open company win for Sunny Victory

Injury-prone galloper Sunny Victory has put past problems behind him to win his first open company race at Doomben.

Jockey Michael Cahill drove Sunny Victory ($10) along the fence to beat a brave Charlie Boy ($8) by a half head in the Stav Abby and Matt Hcp (1200m) on Saturday.

Trainer Darlene Duryea said the gelding had always shown potential but had been a problem to get to the race track.

She said at one stage Sunny Victory had been earmarked for a Hong Kong career but remained in Australia.

“He was a roarer before he had a trial and then after his fist start he had arrhythmia. It goes on from there and that is why he is a lightly-raced horses who has had only 19 starts,” said Duryea, who trains at Beaudesert.

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“The owners have stuck with him and he is an open company winner now. We might press on to try and win a few more open races in Brisbane.”

Duryea also had Sunny Victory entered for a benchmark race but decided to take on open company.

“He had a bad barrier in the race and I thought he was well suited in the open,” she said.

Jockey Lani Fancourt said Charlie Boy had raced well at his first start from a spell and for the Tony Gollan stable.

“The weight difference told at the end,” she added.