The ever-respected foreigner, H Two O, a three-year-old chestnut colt by Divining Rod out of Trendy Wendy, entered his sixth career start on Saturday, September 20, 2025, carrying a record of five outings with a lone win, having placed in all others.
Despite his consistency, punters had begun to label him as allergic to victory, a horse that flirted with success but never quite sealed the deal.
Competing in a restricted event for local three- and four-year-olds with fewer than four wins, and foreign three- and four-year-olds with fewer than three, H Two O faced four challengers following the late scratch of his stablemate, J Spieth. Chief among them was Rocket Fire Seb, another three-year-old foreigner riding a two-race win streak and installed as the overwhelming 1-5 odds-on favourite in the 7½ furlong contest.
Under the guidance of champion trainer Jason DaCosta and jockey Shane Ellis, H Two O broke cleanly and settled into third early, while stablemate Global Pursuit—sent off at 7-1—was hustled to the front by Jerome Innis, creating tactical headaches for Rocket Fire Seb and rider Raddesh Roman. Once Rocket Fire Seb managed to shake off the persistent Global Pursuit, Ellis made his move, unleashing H Two O with purpose.
As they turned for home, the two foreigners were locked in a fierce duel. But it was Ellis’s seasoned hands that tipped the balance. In a thrilling stretch run, H Two O surged ahead within the final furlong, asserting dominance and pulling clear to win by two lengths in a final time of 1:33.2—silencing doubters and shedding his reputation as a perennial bridesmaid.
