Lightly raced gelding ICONIC TREASURE showed plenty of grit to break his maiden at Nowra on Sunday.
ICONIC TREASURE started second favourite in the 1200m contest following an encouraging debut at Wyong where he finished third.
A wide barrier was of some concern second-up, but the Joe Pride-trained galloper was able to cross to sit outside the leader while the favourite CAN DO CANTO was flushed out three-wide.
When rider Alysha Collett asked ICONIC TREASURE for the supreme effort, he responded gamely, and out-bobbed CANADIAN EXPRESS in a desperate drive to the line.
Iconic Treasure salutes in the third at Nowra!@PrideRacing pic.twitter.com/cPFN6kHMdQ
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 11, 2024
The win completed a successful return from a suspensory injury that delayed ICONIC TREASURE’s career until the summer of his 4YO season.
Congratulations to our very patient owners who are entitled to enthusiastically celebrate a win that was a long time coming!
ICONIC TREASURE was a $95,000 yearling from Middlebrook Valley Lodge’s draft at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Proven’s tally of winners for 2024 now stands at 9 while our seasonal count has climbed to 29.