Joe Comito finally oversees Group win with Hold Me Up
Hold Me Up finally achieved a maiden Group triumph at Wentworth Park on the weekend, running a slick 29.69 seconds to take out the Ladbrokes Christmas Gift Final over 520m.
It took his career earnings to over $105,000, with 15 wins from 54 starts.
Jodie and Andy Lord's Coast Model was 1 ½ lengths behind in the runner-up position, crossing in 29.80 seconds.
Despite Hold Me Up starting as a $14 outsider, trainer Joe Comito was confident going into Saturday night.
He finished third in his heat, but ran a respectable time of 29.75 seconds, behind winner Zipping Novak.
Jason Magri's two-year-old did not recover after a sluggish start from box two in the final, finishing last.
2022 Christmas Gift Final replay – Hold Me Up (1st)
Indeed, Hold Me Up could only go up after his heat performance.
“He's been thereabouts. Last week I thought was a massive run,” Comito told The Dogs.
“He ran third in a similar time, but Jason's dog went enormous.
“I thought if he could just jump, he's thereabouts.
“But he's been knocking on the door for a long time now.”
This year, Hold Me Up proved to Comito he could compete with the best dogs in Australia without winning.
Most notably, he won his Million Dollar Chase semi-final in a time of 29.67 seconds, but finished seventh in the final.
And he did not lose any friends with his effort in the Ladbrokes Richmond Derby Final, finishing fourth but crossing the line in 29.63 seconds, also over the 520m distance on June 24.
The three-year-old finally beat home a quality field on the weekend, meaning this festive season will be extra special for Comito.
“Massive year. He made the Million Dollar Chase Final,” he said.
“That was a massive buzz in itself.
“And he's just been thereabouts – he's been running places.
“But we went down to Sandown and he ran third (in a Melbourne Cup heat).
“He's been close, but finally we got one.”