Jockey Dylan Dunn rode his first winner in four years when El Sordo powered around the field to score at Kilmore on Sunday.
Dylan, the son of Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Dwayne Dunn, only returned to race riding a couple of weeks ago after sustaining serious leg fractures in a trackwork fall at Caulfield in October 2021.
For the last three years he has been training a team of horses at Mornington but decided the time had arrived to resume his career as a jockey.
The 28-year-old said he was confident going to the barrier on El Sordo, likening the occasion to game fishing.
“It was like I had a big marlin on the reins to from the moment we left the mounting yard to when we came back,” Dylan said.
“He was in red hot form, and he was feeling really good.”
El Sordo was his was having 12th race ride back in the Annabelle Cleeland 0-56 Hcp (1600m) and rekindled his successful association with Emsley Lodge.
“We didn’t hesitate to put Dylan on our horses as soon as we heard he was making a comeback,” trainer Jamie Edwards said.
Before he retired Dylan’s strike rate with the stable was a solid 16 per cent (12 winners from 74 rides).
His success with Emsley Lodge was only surpassed by his 35 winners for David Hayes.
El Sordo was heavily supported from $6 to $4.20 and was ridden similarly to his previous start when he made a run from near last to finish a close fourth at Wangaratta.
The son of Toronado was last and three-wide passing the 800 metres as Dylan plotted a path to victory following the $3.80 favourite Pharoah’s Daughter.
Improving from eight lengths off the lead to the turn, Dylan angled El Sordo towards the outside running rail entering the straight, still four lengths behind but finishing strongly.
“He was going to land a bit closer but then I had an opportunity to follow the favourite (out wide),” Dylan said.
“Even coming into the straight he tried to take the shorter run home but I thought if he happens to get held up, we are going to screw our race so we came right to the outside in the best ground.”
Charging home, El Sordo swept past Pharoah’s Daughter in the closing stages to score by nearly a length, with Our Emmbar ($7) back near the inside rail two lengths away third.
Mike Palmer owns El Sordo who he bred from his unlucky Encosta de Lago mare Inyanga and the gelding has won twice and placed six times in his 21 starts.