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May 08 Pages in PDF
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At the races with Ted RyanSpring early markets Champion galloper Weekend Hussler, who missed the Doncaster, heads the charts for the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate, but is down in betting in the Melbourne Cup. The son of Hussonet, he has certainly put that sire on the map with his exploits, he has won six Group One’s, equaling the mighty Kingston Town’s feats. Most of us have been singing the praises of the bay for sometime now, and he lived up to these expectations with a sensational win in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill, defeating one of the best 1600 metre horses in the land, Racing To Win.
Trainer Ross McDonald and his connections decided that Weekend Hussler had done enough with six great wins in Group Ones, and now he will step up in distance later in the spring. He will be spelled for around six weeks, before getting ready for the tough assignments. Now the man with the biggest problem is chief handicapper, Greg Carpenter, who has to allot him the weights he will carry in the three classics. I was talking with Greg at Caulfield when we both saw the Hussler win the Ryder, and he was very impressed with his efforts. Now the $ 64,000 question is: How much weight will he receive? As Greg stated, he is a late foal- born on 3 November- so this has got to be taken into consideration.
Current prices for the big 2008 races Caulfield Cup, 18 October $11 Weekend Hussler; $15 Littorio; $16 Maldivian, Kibbutz; $17 Largo Lad, Tuesday Joy; $21 Zarita, Princess Coup. Weekend Hussler looks to have a great chance in this race as he can sit up on the speed in the hardest 2400 metre race in the country, while the Victoria Derby winner, Kibbutz, will be hard to beat, along with Largo Lad and Tuesday Joy. Then you have got to give Maldivian another chance if he fully recovers from his injury. Another one you can’t leave out is Zarita, a strong staying type suited to the trip. Cox Plate, 25 October $6 Weekend Hussler; $11 Light Fantastic; $13 Maldivian; $17 El Segundo, Racing To Win; $21 Forensics, Hot Danish, Mentality, Pompeii Ruler. Weekend Hussler looks the goods in the Cox Plate. The lightly raced, Light Fantastic (prepared by Mick Price), a winner of the Cadbury Guineas, is very talented. And you can’t leave out the likes of last year’s winner El Segundo if he comes up. Then you also have Maldivian, the unlucky galloper who missing the Caulfield Cup last year after being injured in the barrier, and the talented Racing to Win. Melbourne Cup, 4 November $16 Efficient, Littorio; $17 Kibbutz, Tuesday Joy; $21 Weekend Hussler, Master O’Reilly, Maldivian; $28 Largo Lad, Playwright, Princess Coup, Septimus, Zarita.
I like Tuesday Joy in the great race. She appears to be a galloper that will stay all day, and over the long trip that’s what you have to look for. Efficient, you can’t leave out after his outstanding win in the Cup last year. You also have to include last year’s Derby winner, Kibbutz, and then there is Zarita, and possibly Largo Lad, who is now with David Hayes. Weekend Hussler? No I haven’t forgotten him. The Melbourne Cup’s 3200 metre distance might be challenging. But he is a champion, and he might surprise. Don’t ever leave him out. |
Ted Ryan
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