Hellbent has broken through for a maiden win at the highest level in tonight’s Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
The I Am Invincible entire went agonizingly-close in this race last year when he flashed home for second behind Silent Sedition and he appeared to be primed for a big third-up performance in this race after running on for third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) last time out.
Jumping from the gates well, jockey Craig Williams elected to take a position towards the tail of the William Reid Stakes as Thronum, Secret Agenda and Rock Magic dictated early terms.
Williams worked the horse to the outside of the track at the bend and was greeted with a huge turn of foot when he asked for an extra effort as Hellbent absolutely savaged the line for a dominant win over Thronum and an improved Catchy.
Williams produced a perfectly-timed ride to win the William Reid Stakes aboard Hellbent and
“Darren and his owners stuck really firm and just said we can’t ride him any other way and need the race to pan out for him,” Williams said after the race.
“It took a bit of the guess game out of it and I just had to trust him a bit because he had to come out onto the middle part of the track where I didn’t want to be and he had to be there for a furlong-and-a-half, and he was good and decisive.
“Credit to Darren and his team.”
Master trainer Darren Weir was pleased with Hellbent’s performance in the William Reid, but revealed he is hasn’t set plans for the horse beyond tonight.
“It was a great win,” Weir said.
“He’s a horse with an enormous amount of ability and he’s a great sort of horse too, so it’s great to finally get the result that the horse deserves!
“To land in front of a couple was good because I thought he’d land last. Anyway, Craig had to make a move because no one was and he got up and got around them, and got the momentum going and he sprung off the corner great.
“I didn’t know if he was going to get there, but he really let down quick for a couple of hundred metres and got the result, so it was fantastic.
“He was just in a better mood and raced great. I don’t really know (where he’ll go). Just really relieved to be honest.
“A bit of the cut in the ground, he’d go even better I reckon!”
In taking out the William Reid Stakes, Hellbent has now posted an impressive seven wins and as many minors through only twenty-three starts.