Champion Thoroughbreds | Champion Thoroughbreds News 62843 Blinkers The Key To Hoods Revival

A gear change and bold shift in tactics proved the winning formula for Under The Hood to bounce back into the winners’ circle at Nowra on Tuesday.

The four-year-old son of Grunt has been a work in progress for Goulburn trainer Danielle Seib, who admitted the striking gelding has tested her patience at times.

After a plain showing last start at Wagga over 1200m, Seib opted to roll the dice—adding blinkers and instructing jockey Pierre “the flying Frenchman” Boudvillain to adopt a catch-me-if-you-can approach in his third-up run.

Boudvillain, who steered Under The Hood to his maiden victory, made his intentions clear from the barriers, pushing forward on the heavy 8 track to take control of the race.

Once in front, the gelding travelled strongly and, despite the testing ground, kept finding in the straight to hold his rivals at bay by a length—rewarding loyal backers at generous odds of $10.

A $66,000 purchase from Book 2 of the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Under The Hood has now banked just over $50,000 in prizemoney from nine career starts.

Congratulations to winning connections: Mr H J Chapman, Mrs P L Mei, Mr D Attard, Mr S J Lowden, Mrs S J Codner, Mr K J Wheeler, S R Dunn, Mr C D Hands, Mrs D L Fisher, Mr W S Simpson, Mr T S Fisher, Mr G F Furner, Mr R M Farrar, Mr H Bayliss, Sedgewyn, Mr S Brown, Dream Team, and Mr J Pereira.