The five-year-old Thewayyouare gelding won a hurdle trial on April 6, and his Australian hurdling debut – having raced over the obstacles once in NZ – was similarly impressive as he held out Trouble Bound to win the E-Cycle Solutions Maiden Hurdle (3200m) at Racing.com Park.
There was two lengths back to John McArdle’s Trouble Bound and a further six lengths to Felix Bay in third, who was then 12 lengths ahead of the fourth-placed Abebe.
Dwyer was trackside for the win, and will next race The Dominator in the $50,000 Champion Novice on Grand Annual Steeplechase Day on May 4.
“He’s got a nice high cruising speed, he can definitely stay,” the Caulfield trainer said post-race.
“They [the owners] always said he’d probably be a better steeplechaser than a hurdler.
“He jumps a bit high, and if anything, he’s a careful jumper more than anything.
“I think he’ll stay, he’ll get a trip and he jumps well.
“A couple of hurdle races this year, then the fences next year maybe.”
He added: “We bought him as a Warrnambool horse.
“We targeted a maiden hurdle there with him, then we thought there’s plenty of horses going to maiden hurdles there, so we’ll go to the Champion Novice Hurdle on the Thursday.”
Leading jumps hoop Steven Pateman was particularly impressed, and said The Dominator will flourish in the wet, too, after winning on a Soft 6.
“He’s got a serious engine. He’s very Zabeel out of a Zabeel mare,” Pateman said.
“It’s like 5 or 6 years ago when I was riding the Zabeels all the time.
“He’ll grow another leg when it’s really heavy.
“Today was a good education. They went flat out early, and he got a good breather down the side and jumped his way to the front.
“I was worried because it’s a lonely place in front jumping the last two, but he was really clever and ran it right out.”
In the day’s opening feature, last season’s Crisp and Grand National runner-up Lucky Tonight took out the E-Cycle Solutions Steeplechase (3200m) in fine style on Sunday, for NZ trainer and former jumps hoop Shelley Houston, and Irish jockey Richard Cully.
The $7.50 chance won by 2.25 lengths from Saddle The Stars, with a further 4.25 lengths back to King Of The Forest in third.
Two-time Australian Hurdle winner Arch Fire also tuned up well for his bid to make it a hat-trick of wins in the feature, with victory in the E-Cycle Solutions Hurdle (3200m).
But first, Arch Fire will head to the Galleywood Hurdle – a race he finished second in last year – at the Warrnambool carnival, and he does so in great nick after bolting to win by 5.25 lengths in Sunday’s $40,000 race.