Hustler smokes ‘em in the Flashing Red - and there’s so much improvement to come

Trainer Al Barnes admits to being excited about the future of Northview Hustler.

Lincoln Farms’ flagship pacer was only three tenths of a second outside the Albion Park track record for 2647 metres when he won the Flashing Red on Saturday night in his first outing in Queensland.

But Barnes says look out when the little pacer is fully fit and sound, revealing he actually paced terribly in his first race for five months.

“He was quite rough in his gait and even round the first turn you could see he was a bit hoppy in behind. I’ve got some work to do with his stifles in the next couple of weeks.’’

Hustler scores a front-running first-up win in Queensland.That Hustler could clock a 1:57.3 mile rate when not even pacing smoothly, and down a field that included nearly every top horse in the state barring Colt Thirty One, suggests Barnes is not being overly cocky with his prediction: “He’s going to be one of the best ones up here for a long time, for as long as Lincoln Farms leaves him here.’’

“We’re pretty excited because there’s a fair bit of improvement in him.

“I asked Hayden afterwards when he thought he had the others covered and he replied: ‘When I got to the front’.’’

Pouncing straight on to the helm was a crucial element in Barnes’ tactics for the feature race but while the Hustler began smartly from the front tape, he was made to work hard to get the top by Sir Julian, only assuming control with two laps to run.

But once there the five-year-old unleashed even sectionals, clocking 29.4 for each of the first two quarters of the last mile.

Northview Hustler is easily holding Saloon Passage, Mo Casino and Hughie Green at the finish.And when he ramped it up to 27.5 and ripped home in 28.3, for a 55.8 half, his rivals were left gasping. Saloon Passage got closest at the finish, 2.7 metres behind Hustler, with Mo Casino another 4.1 metres away in third and Hughie Green fourth.

“Hayden rolled just quick enough so they couldn’t get into it. And to be able to clock a mile rate of 1:57.3 for 2647 metres when he’s still unfit, is very exciting.”

The only pacer to have gone faster at the trip was 20-race winner Major Moment, who clocked 1:57 flat in 2014.

“He’s done a super job for a finicky little horse who has a history of not eating very well.’’

Barnes says race nights don’t come much better than Saturday when as well as bagging the feature race he scored with Lincoln Road, whom he bought from Lincoln Farms last year, and ran third with Vasari who looked unlucky to finish only third after being buried there deep on the markers for unfamiliar junior driver Taleah McMullen.

“I know the Flashing Red isn’t for a lot of prize money - Hustler’s winning share of the A$22,170 purse was A$12,686 - but it’s a race I’ve always wanted to win.’’

Barnes became fond of the dual New Zealand Cup winner when he trained the horse for 12 months in Brisbane when private trainer for part-owner Stu Hunter.

Al Barnes … biggest thrill for ages.“I remember trying to buy the (dress) rug off the trainer who won the race last year thinking that was the only way I was ever going to get a Flashing Red rug. And to think that 12 months later I’ve won one …

“It’s definitely the biggest buzz I’ve had for a while. We were training very ordinary horses until Lincoln Farms came along.”

In the last few months Barnes has won five races on end with Trojan Banner and bagged another two with Lincoln’s Girl.

“It’s amazing how similar Northview Hustler and Trojan Banner are in size and stature. There’s not much of them but, geez, they can run.

“A few people were shocked Hustler went as well as he did and can’t work out why he got to start off the front. But that’s the handicapping system.

“He’ll be an M4 now but he’s still only c7 so I can drop back into an easy country race on a Tuesday and get a few wins in the c6-c9 grade.’’

Barnes says he will spend the next couple of weeks treating Hustler’s stifles then tackle a country race to fit him for his first test, the A$31,400 Redcliffe Cup (2613m) on June 22.

“He should be really and truly fit by then.’’

Hustler’s big target remains the the $A200,000 The Blacks A Fake Championship (2680m) on July 20.