MONDAY'S maiden win of Eire to the Jungle had certainly been a long time coming, not just because it was 14 starts in the making but especially for his owner Jack Lyons.

Jack, president of the Bendigo Jockey Club, bred the five-year-old son of Jungle Ruler with his late father Barry, having also raced his mother Love You Sometime who was an eight-time winner herself.

While a much-deserved win always looked inevitable given his consistency, that was all thrown off course midway through last year when a bout of colic threatened to take his life.

“This horse he should have died, he got colic and was in hospital for about a week and thankfully he made it through and might be all the tougher for it,” Toby Lake said.

With 10 months on the sidelines, Eire to the Jungle had returned with three typical honest runs building fitness this preparation but the stable was always keen to find him rain effected ground.

The strategy worked and on the quick-back up and Will Gordon leading from the front, his first start on heavy ground saw him dominate and swim through conditions for a comfortable 1.75-length victory.

“We’ve been waiting for a wet track for a long time,” Lake explained.

“I remember growing up watching the races every winter and Jungle Ruler would string a few together in town on wet ground.

“There will be plenty of options for him moving forward and we will just follow the rain.”

Eire to the Jungle is the only progeny of Jungle Ruler to make it to the races from his year of limited foals. He was trained by Peter White and raced 115 times winning 20 races – 17 of them on rain effected going.

The victory was a third in 12 days for the stable and it won’t be the last for Eire to the Jungle who will enjoy racing in the winter months.

WATCH: Click here to view the race replay

Congratulations to the connections of Eire to the Jungle: Jack Lyons