WELLY WINS WHEN UNWANTED IN THE BETTING

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 30, 2025

Just as his stable companion Brutal Sue had done two days earlier, the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Welly claimed his first win in his eighth career start and he also started at double figure odds having drifted from $16 to $21. (Brutal Sue had won at $31).

The race was a Maiden Handicap over 1400m on the Gold Coast on August 30.

The son of Encryption did have one runner-up result to his credit, with a couple of on the fringe of the placings finishes in his previous seven starts … which was clearly not viewed as particularly encouraging form for punters.

That, and the fact that Welly had to jump from a wide barrier draw (number twelve) meant that he remained neglected in the betting being rated as an unlikely winner, but the race itself proved to be a different matter all-together.

Pushed forward at speed from the wide gate by Nozi Tomizawa, Welly crossed all the way to the rail to take up a close-up second place behind Xtravagant Gift (the $4.80 favourite) in the early part.

Welly held that position until Tomizawa quietly eased him to a one-out position a length back in clear air behind Xtreavagant Gift, perfectly poised to strike.

When Xtravagant started to feel the pinch soon after straightening (he did jump from the worst of the draw … fifteen out of fifteen), Welly surged into the lead with 280m left to run.

He was strong and had to sustain a run as the $11 chance Launcher was the first to come out of the pack to chase hard … and then Evelyn May ($9) arrived with a late flourish to go passed Launcher and threaten Welly’s superiority, but neither of these runners could do enough to reel in the Sears trained runner who won by a diminishing 0.40 length margin.

Evelyn May franked this form by winning next time out.

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