The King is going to the sun

By Jordan Gerrans

Beaudesert hobby trainer Wayne King has long thought stable star Going To The Sun has the capacity to win a Saturday city race. 

Following the fourth victory of his career at Clifford Park on Saturday evening, the 65-year-old horseman is likely to soon give Going To The Sun a chance to do so. 

The seven-year-old was tough to the line to score in the Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1625 metres.

King has tentatively picked out the Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1650 metres as the son of Sizzling’s next assignment on his home deck on the 31^st of this month.

“I have said from day one, he can win a Saturday race in town,” the enthusiastic King said.

“If he finds the right race and conditions, he can do it. He might be $50 and come out and shock people.

“But, if you go back and look at his form, he easily could have won 10 races with a bit of luck.”

If Going To The Sun can run well at Beaudesert later this month, King is likely to give his middle-distance galloper a shot at a metropolitan race on a Saturday soon after. 

King – who rides all his own trackwork - has had Going To The Sun in his barn from his earliest days as a racehorse dating back to his maiden preparation in late 2021.

The gelding has won on four occasions, been placed another eight times as he is edging closer to $100,000 in career stakes. 

King owns Going To The Sun himself these days after his previous ownership group moved him on following an injury early in his career.

The small-time trainer says Going To The Sun could have been ‘something out of the box’ if he didn’t suffer an injury setback in late September of 2022. 

He was off the racing scene for more than a year. 

“He has been going good,” King said.

“He is part of the furniture and a bit like part of the family, the horse. He has been a really good bargain buy considering I bought him back for $600 after he was up for sale. 

"He is like a family pet.”

Up-and-coming apprentice hoop Colleen Krahnen piloted Going To The Sun for the first time on Saturday at Toowoomba and the trainer was full-of-praise for her ride.  

With her three-kilogram claim, Krahnen out toughed Burleigh Magic from the Rex Lipp stable in the concluding stages.

“I have to give credit to the rider,” he said.

“I was keen for her to stay off the fence. She held her ground, which won the race. She was able to pull out at the 600 metre mark and had clean running, then he was able to wind up.

“He is really going well, the horse, I am really happy with him.”

King describes himself as a ‘horse lover’ and keeps a small stable. 

He also has Going To The Sun’s younger half-sister Cochela in his team. 

She was set to debut at Beaudesert in the middle of August, but she was a late scratching.

The trainer is hopeful Cochela is not far away from a maiden effort at the races. 

King also has high hopes for the unraced Mighty Successful who he also owns a share in. 

Mighty Successful is now under the racing banner of Adam and Dallas Simpson at the Sunshine Coast as he does his pre-training but will return to King’s stable soon. 

Mighty Successful ran second to boom two-year-old Boots in his lone public appearance. 

He is likely to have his maiden start in April of 2026.