Local trainer Jay Hopkins has only been training for about a year and on Friday he tasted a career-defining win when Got Unders caused a boil-over in the $150,000 Group III Cameron Handicap (1400m) at Newcastle.
Got Unders ($26) led home a Novocastrian quinella when defeating the Kris Lees-trained Sound Proposition ($3.70) by a short-head with 4-3/4 lengths back to Godolphin's import Spectroscope ($4.40) in third. The $2.70 favourite Special Missile finished fourth.
Got Unders showed plenty of tenacity in the straight to gun down Sound Proposition after the former Kiwi had shot clear and appeared to have the race at his mercy.
"When he kept coming just after the 300 (metres) I thought ah, we're going to run a place and then he kept coming and coming and coming, it was good," Hopkins told Sky Racing.
The Jay Hopkins-trained Got Unders causes an upset in the G3 Cameron Handicap at #Newcastle, nosing pout Sound Proposition. pic.twitter.com/qGXoCHYztg
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 15, 2017
Got Unders is an eight-year-old gelding Hopkins purchased as a weanling and was formally trained by Paul Smith and Ken Lantry until his managing owner secured his trainer's licence.
Earlier this year Got Unders finished second in the Group III Newcastle Newmarket but with Tim Clark having his first ride aboard the gelding, the son of Southern Image scored his first win in more than 18 months.
"A great achievement by Jay to get this old horse to perform so well in a big race on his home track," Clark said.
"He put himself into a lovely spot. When they quickened before the turn they put half a length on him but they didn't get away from him and I think it gave him confidence as well.
"When got to the outside of Sound Proposition he really knuckled down and fought it out strongly."
The victory was the eighth for Got Unders from 53 starts and took his earnings past $500,000.
The horse is not entered for the Epsom Handicap at Randwick in 15 days and Hopkins said he wasn't in a rush to identify an upcoming target.
"I'm going for a drink but I don't know where the horse is going," he said.
