$51 roughie Autumn Boy stuns $1.4m yearling Central Coast in Chris Waller quinella at Canterbury on Monday
Central Coast, who cost $1.4m as a yearling, was all the rage and was backed into $1.65 favouritism to make a winning debut in the two-year-old opener, the Drinkwise Plate (1250m).
But another Waller-trained first-starter, $51 outsider Autumn Boy produced a powerful finish to collar Central Coast near the line.
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James McDonald gave the superbly-bred Central Coast (Wootton Bassett-Sunlight) every possible chance but the colt could not withstand his stablemate's powerful late surge.
Waller's stable representative, Charlie Duckworth, admitted he thought Autumn Boy might find the 1250m 'too short'.
'Autumn Boy has always been a dream to deal with but he flies under the radar a bit,'' Duckworth told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
'He is bred to get over further so it is really exciting to see him win.''
Autumn Boy, ridden by Jason Collett, ambushed Central Coast late to win by nearly a short neck with Godolphin first-starter Cabriole ($3.30) nearly two lengths away third.
Central Coast shared the early lead with Cosmonaut before McDonald let that horse cross and find the fence.
McDonald then eased Central Coast off heels to be outside the leader coming to the turn where the favourite forged to the front and looked certain to score until Autumn Boy, a son of Arrowfield Stud's boom young sire The Autumn Sun, burst on the scene.
'It was his first day at 'school' and I'm sure he will take good benefit from the experience,'' Duckworth said.
'We will take a sit next time he will be much better for it.''
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