Making the most of second chance

BARGAIN buy Grosso Naso has made the most of his second chance.

Purchased by trainer Anthony Missen along with stable clients in October 2024, Grosso Naso made steady progress through the grades before contesting a Hunter Regional Champion heat.

Missing the Final, the well-bred gelding dead-heated with Racing Paula in the Consolation.

Fast forward to tonight's Newcastle meeting and Grosso Naso has captured the $75,000 Final.

"I'm pretty happy...over the moon to be honest," Missen said. "This is my biggest win as a trainer and an owner.

"He was part of a dead-heat in the Consolation last time, but you'd think with his big nose he would have stuck it out and won.

"He's got that big old school standardbred nose, a throwback look to the old Golden Greek look of 20-25 years ago!

"At last tonight he won with a more comfortable margin."

Driven by Robbie Morris, Grosso Naso led from the pole before being eased to take a trail behind Always Be Chaps.

Squeezed through a narrow opening halfway along the home straight, the son of Bettors Delight unleashed a strong sprint to score by two metres from Walter Warlock.

After racing in the 'death seat', Major Reason battled on to be a metre-and-a-half away third.

"What a magnificent drive," Missen said. "Robbie got him through a narrow gap, which is surprising given his size.

"He's a big lump, over 17 hands, and he is also exceptionally well-bred."

Rating 1:56.3 over 2030 metres, Grosso Naso took his record to eight wins and nine placings from 30 starts for earnings of $93,296.

"He's been a very good buy for us," Missen said. "He's also a team effort, with my wife Joy, brother Peter, one of his owners Dean Taylor and strapper Russell Murray all helping out."