Hustler’s the class horse but he’ll still need to show some heart on Tuesday, says Al
By Barry Lichter • 27 May 2019
On ratings, Northview Hustler should simply have the wood on his rivals at Albion Park on Tuesday.
But trainer Al Barnes says drawn four on the second row, last week’s Flashing Red winner will still have to show some heart to win the final race at 8.17pm NZ time.
Hustler gets into the mobile 2138 metre race for c6 and c7 horses with a c7 rating but he carries a metropolitan mark of M4 compared with the M0 status of the rest of the field.
But while he will start favourite, Barnes says with talented filly Fame Assured (14 wins from 25 starts) in the field, he’s unlikely to be a raging hot pot.
“He’s the class horse of the field, no doubt, but our plan will be to try to stay in front of Fame Assured. We’ve got the best horse and will drive him accordingly and be aggressive.
“We’ll try to get round them pretty quickly. Hopefully if the race pans out as I hope it will, he’ll get a good run through at the start and be in front or in the chair.’’
Northview Hustler with driver Hayden Barnes and trainer Al Barnes after his fresh-up win nine days ago. PHOTO: Dan Costello.Barnes suspects the in-form Pinup Boy will get out fast from six, attack for the lead, and park Hustler. But Pinup Boy is likely to be running on empty at the finish of 2138 metres, he says.
“We’ll have to be tough this week and do a bit of work but even though it’s like a maiden voyage for us I’m still confident he’ll do well.
“The reports I’m getting are he’s as good in the chair as he is in front. He doesn’t have to be silly and run Vasari times, he just needs to be a tradesman, sit patient, and get the job done.’’ (Vasari clocked a supersonic 1:52 mile rate when winning last Friday night).
Barnes reports Hustler is very happy and seems a little better in his gait after some work on his stifles. Barnes noticed Hustler was quite hoppy in his action behind when winning the Flashing Red when he paced the 2647 metres from a stand in a mile rate of 1:57.3, just three tenths of a second outside the track record.
Natural improvement should see Hustler even sharper on Tuesday as that was his first race for five months.
Hustler’s first target remains the A$31,400 Redcliffe Cup (2613m) on June 22, with his ultimate goal the $A200,000 The Blacks A Fake Championship (2680m) on July 20.
Sportsbet has Hustler a $5 fifth favourite for that winter Group I feature behind Tiger Tara ($3.50), with Colt Thirty One, Our Uncle Sam and Poster Boy all on $4.
Northview Hustler races at 8.17pm NZ time on Tuesday.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
