His record is a mixed bag of victories and stark failures but handy 5YO DON’T DESPAIR was back to his best with a game victory in the 1600m BM62 at the Sunshine Coast Sunday.
Rider Jake Bayliss positioned the DISSIDENT gelding at the leader’s wheel before stealing a break on his rivals in the straight and clinging on to win narrowly.
“The more I got stuck into him, the more he put out for me,” said Bayliss post race.
“It was a brave effort I thought.”
Co-trainers Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted have successfully stretched DON’T DESPAIR out to 2200m in an earlier preparation, so longer races will be immediate targets this campaign. To that end, a similar event over 1800m on Sunday October 3 back at the Sunshine Coast, is where he’ll head next start, in search of his fifth career win.
The PROVEN colours almost made it a double in successive races when promising stayer TRAVOLI, charged home from rearward to be beaten two heads into third place in the C1 of 1400m. He will also return to the same track in a fortnight for a 1600m BM58.
The winner tally has climbed to 8 in season 21/22 with the O’Dea/Hoysted partnership providing 7 of those winners.
DON’T DESPAIR was a $110k purchase from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.