Four, three, two….won!

IF EVER there was a ‘poster child’ for the cliché ‘gotten better with every start’, it has to be Cecil Peak.

Used on a frequent basis in racing, the term typically refers to the subject in question improving in fitness following a spell or with experience gained.

In the case of Cecil Peak it’s probably both, but what makes gelding’s transformation more obvious is his form.

Fourth upon debut, Cecil Peak then finished third at his following start before being runner-up.

Trainer Scott Gill then sent the two-year-old for a spell before he returned with a first-up victory at Globe Derby yesterday.

“I guess it is a perfect countdown going four, three, two and one,” Gill said. “My wife Olivia. who owns and works him with me, did pick up on his countdown after his third run and thought it meant he had to win next!

“To be brutally honest, I was a touch disappointed in his first start, but I think he went out there and didn’t know what he was doing.

“Same with his third start really when he led but got run down.

“So I tipped out, which did him good, and luckily he doesn’t take a lot of work to get going and he won as his form predicted.”

With Gill in the cart, Cecil Peak worked to the lead from barrier six before cruising to a four-and-a-half metre win from Lightning Bling.

Pretty Mischievous was three metres away third as the winner rated 1:59.4 over 1800 metres.

“He is a big boned horse, he’d be 16-and-a-half hands, and I quite like him,” Gil said. “He felt more switched on this time and I think he can keep getting better.

“I’ll nominate him for another suitable race next Monday, but I’m hoping he can measure up to Southern Cross later in the season.”