Victorian jockey Michael Walker had a choice to make at the 300m mark of Saturday's Eugene Gorman Hcp at Flemington.
His mount Vuelta ($7) was in a winning position but had started to show his inexperience, when Walker asked him for his best effort to reel in Roundabout ($5.50), which had just run to the lead.
Walker had to be careful not to ruin the 2-year-old's winning chances but a gentler approach helped the David Hayes-trained colt notch his maiden win in the 1400m race.
"I was just a bit worried about him being a bull [colt] that he does tend to play around and think. When I've gone to go after Luke's one [Roundabout], he half pulled up so I thought I had better stop hitting him because sometimes those bulls, if you hit them too much they go the opposite and really pull up. I thought if I just rode hands and heels, he'll stick his neck out and he did," said Walker.
Vuelta is a son of the Epsom and Irish Derby winner High Chaparral, who has produced It's A Dundeel, Monaco Consul and Shoot Out to win Derbies in Australia.
