Al prescribes quiet trial for Hustler today: It will be a month before he’s ready to rumble

Northview Hustler will take the next step on the comeback trail with a quiet trial at Albion Park this evening.

Lincoln Farms Queensland flag bearer will take on five mediocre rivals at 6.28pm NZ time in what trainer Al Barnes says is likely to be the first of three trials.

“He’s sound and doing well - I can’t fault him - but he has a fair bit of work to do to bring him up to race fitness.

“It’s a weak field today, and he has only five rivals, so he should be able to have nice cruisy trial, and run 1:55 or 1:56 comfortably.”

Barnes is determined not to rush the Hustler back to the races after his latest setback when persistent swelling in his off front fetlock saw Barnes send him for an MRI scan at the University Of Queensland’s Gatton Equine Specialist Hospital.

Relieved that it turned out to be little more than the equivalent of a sprained wrist, Barnes put the horse back into training with a view to tackling the COVID-19 pared back winter features.

“I’m not going to push him - when he’s ready he’s ready - and he could be a month away from racing.

“You don’t want to be going into these races half right as he’ll be up against Colt Thirty One, Hectorjayjay and other good horses like Glenferrie Hood and running 1:52, 1:53 and I don’t want to break his heart.”

The first of the three Albion Park features is just under six weeks away, the A$20,830 Wondai’s Mate (1660m) on July 11, followed by the A$25,630 Mr Feelgood (2138m) on July 18 and the A$25,630 Lucky Creed (2680m) on July 25.

Northview Hustler performed creditably, without much luck, at the winter carnival last year before being sidelined by a minor tendon tear.