Symon Wilde and his father Bill were only too happy to welcome stakes-performed Bertonic into their stable last month and are cautiously optimistic they can return the talented galloper to his best form.A horse blessed with a blistering turn of foot, Bertonic was regarded as a galloper of great potential when with Victoria's leading trainer Peter Moody but a raft of minor niggles led his former trainer to look west to the Wildes' Warrnambool base in a bid to rejuvenate his fading career."Althoug
Symon Wilde and his father Bill were only too happy to welcome stakes-performed Bertonic into their stable last month and are cautiously optimistic they can return the talented galloper to his best form.
A horse blessed with a blistering turn of foot, Bertonic was regarded as a galloper of great potential when with Victoria's leading trainer Peter Moody but a raft of minor niggles led his former trainer to look west to the Wildes' Warrnambool base in a bid to rejuvenate his fading career.
"Although he has only had fourteen runs he is a horse that has a fair bit of wear and tear and Peter (Moody) advised the owners that he'd be better off in a country environment," Wilde said.
At his peak during the summer of 2009/10 Bertonic produced two excellent runs at Listed level, finishing fourth in the Kilmore Cup in February before running a close second in the Victoria Gold Cup at Caulfield, but he left that form well behind him in two appearances during spring.
"He only had a couple of runs in the spring and had a few more niggles afterwards so we haven't had him all that long, but paddock life and the salt water seems to be working for him at the moment and it's done the trick with the older horses down here before," Wilde said.
Bertonic is likely to make his debut for the Wildes at Flemington on Saturday in either the Skipton Handicap (1600m) or the Cleanevent Sustainability Handicap (1400m) but Wilde is wary of expecting too much from the five-year-old this weekend.
"When he's right he's certainly got good ability but there a lot of issues there to overcome, if we can get him right I'm sure the owners will have a lot of fun with him," he said.
Wilde will also bring improving mare and impressive last-start winner I Love Rubies to town this weekend with options at Moonee Valley on Friday night and Flemington on Saturday.
"She's a mare that I've always had a bit of an opinion of, I always thought she would win a Saturday-class race in town and she won easily last start at Ararat," Wilde said.
I Love Rubies could tackle the 0-72 rating race over 1500m at Moonee Valley but Wilde is leaning to the Indian Summer Handicap (1400m) at Flemington.
Wilde also reported that stable star Hissing Sid was back in work and heading towards a third straight win in the Warrnambool Cup in May after missing the chance to shine during a wet spring carnival.
"I couldn't believe that we had the first wet spring in ages and he was stuck in the paddock after bumping a tendon in the Feehan, I just cringed at some of the results," he said.
"He's coming along well and if we can win a third home town cup it would be a great result."