Al: We’ll be in front after 400 metres - Hustler’s the one to beat in Redcliffe Gold Cup
By Barry Lichter • 26 June 2020
Northview Hustler might be on a 10 metre handicap in Saturday night’s A$25,630 Redcliffe Gold Cup but trainer Al Barnes says to expect him to be in front after 400 metres.
And from there, he says “good luck to those chasing him” as the horse has the speed to reel off a 54 last half round the tight triangular circuit.
“He’s a $3.60 favourite and in my opinion those are generous odds.
“For a horse like him, that steps so fast, 10 metres isn’t much of a handicap and we’re fairly confident of winning.
“Most of those horses on the front line won’t step like him. We don’t have that many stands over here and more than half of them will probably canter and be slow away.
“Hustler’s definitely the horse to beat. He’s improved through the week, has tightened up, and licked his bowl clean.”
Barnes was rapt with the Hustler’s first-up run last week when he all but beat Queensland champ Colt Thirty One at Albion Park in his first start for more than three months.
The Hustler looked to have the measure of Cost Thirty One when he dashed clear turning for home but just ran out of condition late, collared a long neck.
Top driver Pete McMullen, standing in for Barnes’ suspended son Hayden, did a great job considering he didn’t know the horse, and how much speed he had.
“And if we had won that race we’d have been a $1.80 favourite on Saturday.”
Barnes believes Northview Hustler is the best horse in the race and, while another backmarker Tennyson Bromac will provide tough opposition, he says the longer 2613 metres will really suit ther Lincoln Farms horse.
“It’s a good race for him and I expect him to beat them for speed even though a few might try to turn it into a staying test.
“But there are no Colt Thirty Ones in the field and Hayden’s back on this time.”
Barnes says after a horrible eight months when the Hustler has had one setback after another, he’s delighted the horse is finally sound again.
“It’s nice to have him back on the right track.”
Northview Hustler races at 10.07pm NZ time at Redcliffe on Saturday night.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
