The quaver in the voice, the outpouring of emotion, the sigh of relief — this was no ordinary victory for Corinella trainer Shea Eden. 
Imported galloper King Way had broken through for his second career victory, his first in Australia, impressively scoring in the Prestige Jayco BM70 Handicap (2447m) at Geelong last Sunday.
“It’s a long way from France to Geelong and it’s been a long time between drinks (1196 days) — this is without doubt one of the most satisfying wins of my entire career,” a delighted Eden explained post-race.
Bred in America, King Way did his early racing in France. The gelded son of Thewayyouare scored his previous victory at Longchamp in June 2014, over 2400 metres in a maiden. 
King Way ($8.50) was confidently ridden by Nikita Beriman outside the speed, tracking well off the rail in the better going. Despite laying inwards under pressure late, causing Beriman to lose the use of her off-side rein, he was never in danger of defeat. 
Leader Bling Dynasty ($4) battled on well for second, with Happy as Hell ($12) running on late for a distant third.
Beriman explained: “He’s been knocking on the door and he deserved the win — the horse means a lot to Shea and the team.”
King Way’s journey to Eden’s stable began with a broken contract that left the talented young French stayer without a home. With European stayers the flavour of the month in Australia, trainers queued for an opportunity to get their hands on one.
Eden didn’t expect to have such an opportunity early in his training career, but after a weekend of ringing and convincing prospective owners, by Thursday he was in England at the famous Newmarket gallops, inspecting his new recruit. 
It certainly hasn’t been plan sailing for King Way in his adopted country — he would test the patience of his owners and trainer — but they never gave up or questioned his ability or that of his trainer.
On his first Australian run, at Ladbrokes Park, Eden expected King Way to win, only for him to slip on a loose patch of turf and strain his hamstring. The injury flared again after his second run at Ballarat.
Given a month between runs he ran great second at Moonee Valley, only for the hamstring to flare again.
On resumption at Geelong after a spell, King Way injured a fetlock in the run and headed straight back to the paddock. 
His next campaign yielded four placings from five runs, including two at city level, before he pulled up sore and down the track at Moonee Valley.
An extensive veterinary examination found that King Way had extremely thin hoof walls.  It took nine months to strip back and rebuild King Way’s feet. 
You can see why Sunday’s win is so satisfying.
Eden was thankful for the support and patience of King Way’s owners and his staff, as well as the assistance and support of equine podiatrist Dr Luke Wells-Smith, farrier Colin Eden and Advantage Equine.
“King Way loves the beach and the salt water,” Eden said. “It’s worked wonders on hamstring, stifle, joint, and hoof ailments. 
“He’s shown gradual improvement at all six runs this preparation, indicating a win was just around the corner.
“This horse has tested my skills and patience as a trainer and I am a better trainer for having him. The rewards will come but I feel like he’s already had a big positive impact on me as a trainer.” 
The beach stable at Corinella (on the shores of Westernport Bay) is an integral part of the Eden Racing training regimen. It offers a great change of routine from the hustle and bustle of Cranbourne, with the combination of sand, salt and grass refreshing and revitalising gallopers.
King Way will likely head to Moonee Valley (October 6) for a benchmark 78 over 2500 metres before a possible tilt at a country cup. 
Eden expects another forward showing next start.
“He’s just coming right — I’ve been soft on him. Geelong will top him off nicely.”
Meanwhile, the stable is working hard to get another import back to the track — ex-South African seven-year-old King’s Bay. 
A winner of six of his nine starts, King’s Bay hasn’t raced for nearly four years. A trip to Singapore and a couple of tendon injuries later, he’s the current Eden Racing project. 
Stable star Ocean Embers will resume at Moonee Valley on September 30 in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), with Beriman booked to ride.