Well-bred Shaolin Kungfu breaks through

Shaolin Kungfu posts his first win in 14 starts after ploughing through wet ground at Doomben.

Former Sydney galloper Shaolin Kungfu finally lived up to his impeccable breeding and hefty price tag by winning at Doomben on Wednesday.

Shaolin Kungfu ($3) continued the good recent run of Chris Waller’s Gold Coast stable when he cruised home in the muddy conditions to win the Cowan Restoration Maiden (1600m).

The gelding was a $300,000 buy as a yearling and is by champion sire Fastnet Rock out of the mare Gypsy Dancer, making him a half-brother to the 2004 Magic Millions Classic-Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero.

The win took Shaolin Kungfu’s prize money to only $30,000 but Waller’s Queensland stable foreman Paul Shailer thinks there is more to come.

“He is one of the horses who have done well since coming to Queensland. We have had five winners in the past couple of weeks and we have 20 horses in the stable at the Gold Coast now,” Shailer said.

“I think Shaolin Kungfu might get a bit further and we will just work him through his classes without getting too excited. After all it has taken him 14 runs to win a race.”

Banner error, could not find casino id "william-hill-sport"

Peking Road ($2) also lived up to her wet-track breeding when he narrowly won the John Lyng Group Handicap (1050m).

The mare is by Hidden Dragon, one of the state’s best-known wet-track sires, out of Vainroc who is by another noted sire of mudlarks in Easy Rocking.

“She travelled well but we only just got there,” said winning jockey Brad Stewart.

Peking Road’s trainer Stuart Kendrick got a double when Valfrieno ($2.50) won.

“Valfrieno is a horse of plenty of potential and I think there is a better race in him,” winning jockey Robbie Fradd said.

Natural Force ($5) also lived up to his breeding when he won a maiden (1350m) in a slogging finish.

“He is a half brother to Arki and Where’s That Dragon who are both huge horses. But as you can see this one is only tiny. But they all like the wet and that was the case again today,” said trainer Kelly Doughty.