Trainer Tony Vasil had a look of disbelief as he glanced across from the second placegetter's stall towards Costa In The Glen who had just mowed down True Tales with a devastating sprint from the top of the straight at Sandown.Trained by Niall Phillips at Geelong, Costa In The Glen appeared no chance turning for home when he was back second last but he reeled off champion-like sectionals to win by a half-length in Wednesday's Chatham Handicap (1400m).Jockey Danny Brereton said he could feel the

Trainer Tony Vasil had a look of disbelief as he glanced across from the second placegetter's stall towards Costa In The Glen who had just mowed down True Tales with a devastating sprint from the top of the straight at Sandown.

Trained by Niall Phillips at Geelong, Costa In The Glen appeared no chance turning for home when he was back second last but he reeled off champion-like sectionals to win by a half-length in Wednesday's Chatham Handicap (1400m).

Jockey Danny Brereton said he could feel the four-year-old "lift off" as he straightened for the long run up the home straight and wasn't surprised to learn that the gelding had run his last 600 metres in 32.55s.

True Tales looked certain to bring up his fifth victory from seven starts but Costa In The Glen won the race with a staggering 10.46s sectional between the 400 metres and 200 metres and ran his last 200 metres in 10.88s.

"Once they straightened his engine started, I thought he would go pretty close even though I knew he was chasing a good horse who could gallop," Brereton said.

"He's only franked what I always thought.

"He showed me talent from the first time I rode him and it has just taken a while for Niall to get it out of him.

"He is Group standard but what number Group we are yet to find out."

Costa In The Glen has been plagued with problems and early days it was thought he would he never race because of sesamoid bone fractures.

Phillips said it wasn't until Costa In The Glen was 2-1/2 years old that he was broken in and that only now was he switching on to what racing was about.

Wednesday's win was his fourth in six starts but his record would undoubtedly have been better if he did not suffer from soft soles and weak walls of his feet.

Weighing in at around 540kg, he has been "a nightmare to maintain" and Phillips admits he dreads each morning when he first sees the horse.

"He's always had feet issues and every morning you walk him out of the box you hold your breath and close your eyes," Phillips said.

Since his last-start third at Sandown, Costa In The Glen has spent up to three hours a day at the beach to take the pressure off his feet.

"It has made a difference and he is just starting to relax and enjoy it now," Phillips said.

"It is good to see the horse back to his best and show that turn of foot that he has."

Phillips said this campaign was about giving Costa In The Glen a foundation for feature races up to 1600 metres in the spring.

"I definitely want to take on a Saturday class race with him now and get his rating (74) right up," Phillips said.

"I still think there are some big races in the spring we will line him up for."