Sport
22 May, 2026
Golden win for Warrnambool connections
EIGHT year-old gelding Golden Garden employed his usual daring tactics to record an exciting all-the-way win in the $80,000 Ecycle Two Rivers Steeplechase at Casterton last weekend.
Similar to his recent Warrnambool win, the $2.40 favourite – trained by Two Rivers expert Symon Wilde and ridden by Dean Parker – thrilled a large crowd that gathered in sunny conditions for Sunday’s Foodworks Casterton Cup Day.
He was able to step straight to the lead and despite a few awkward jumps, and plenty of late pressure form runner-up Saint Eustace, ran home strongly to record his first win over the live hedges.
For Wilde and Parker it capped off a memorable day, after winning the Nutrien Ag Hurdle with Enchanted Elle.
With local connections including Wannon MP Dan Tehan, Geoff Cain, Rick Smith and Greg Bright, and after schooling brilliantly on the track earlier in the week, Wilde was happy to see Golden Garden bring that form to race day.
“It was a pretty tough run at Warrnambool, he’s an extremely tough horse and we’re surprised at how well he came through Warrnambool’s run,” Wilde said.
“We took him to Casterton earlier in the week for a little look around and we were quite happy with the way he schooled.
“He had a really good look, I think he’s the type of horse that could really suit Casterton and hopefully he is there, running in these type races for years to come.”
Despite the potential love match between horse and track, however, Wilde said the Two Rivers had not been the first thought when it came to nominations for the gelding.
“He wasn’t hurdling that well, he raced in a hurdle race at Casterton last year; I think he won his first jumps race there over the hurdles, but we just thought he was better suited over thicker fences,” Wilde said.
“We were really only guessing, so until we saw him race over them and trial over them, we didn’t really know.”
Wilde said that at the start of this season, the Casterton race began to hit their radar, especially after winning at Warrnambool.
“He completed the course quite well at the Bool and pulled up well, that’s when we started thinking about Casterton.”
Golden Garden was followed across the line by Saint Eustace (a maiden steeplechaser), with Fabalot in third.
Reigning back-to-back Two Rivers Champion, The Mighty Spar, was retired from the race in the paddock on the second lap.
Later in the program, the Foodworks Casterton Cup provided punters with the most exciting finish of the day, with just a head the margin as Jack Hill rode the Pat McKenna-trained Inherently past the post.
