First Win for $2.4 Million Fastnet

Promising colt Wilderness (3c Fastnet Rock x Gold Anthem, by Made of Gold) provided David Hayes and Tom Dabernig with the perfect start to their new training partnership when he saluted as their first runner at Geelong on Friday.

Wilderness was resuming from a spell following two unplaced runs in the autumn in good company and showed the benefit of a break to forge clear and win the 1100 metre maiden by a length and a quarter with six lengths back to the third horse.

"He’s still a little bit green so there is improvement in him. Very pleased to get a winner for Coolmore, they’re good supporters of the stable," said Tom Dabernig.

"He’s a horse we’ve always had a good opinion of and obviously we have spring on our doorstep and we’ll be heading that way with him.”

A son of champion sire Fastnet Rock, Wilderness was bought for $2.4 million by John Warren for Coolmore in partnership with China Horse Club and runs for a syndicate of high profile international bloodstock investors.

Bred by Makybe and consigned for sale by Tyreel Stud as agent, Wilderness is a half-brother to four-time Group I winner and exciting sire Starspangledbanner being the sixth winner for stakes-placed Gold Anthem.

This is of course the Circles of Gold family that has also produced globetrotting Group I winners Elvstroem and Haradasun as well as current boom Irish Galileo colt Highland Reel.

Gold Anthem had a Choisir colt sell for $450,000 at Inglis Easter this year and has a Fastnet Rock filly to follow.

She is due to foal again this spring to Fastnet Rock.