Northview Hustler and Hayden Barnes are pushed extremely wide turning for home in tonight’s Redcliffe Cup.
I’m so proud of you Hustler, says Al - you’ve got a big ticker and you’re still improving
By Barry Lichter • 22 June 2019
Northview Hustler might not have won tonight’s Redcliffe Cup but trainer Al Barnes could not have been more proud of his effort for fourth.
Driven back in the field from his 10 metre handicap, Northview Hustler moved out to follow Saloon Passage a little over a lap from home but when that runner went nowhere, driver Hayden Barnes was forced to pull out four wide 400 metres from home.
The little black colt powered round the field, looming close to the leading pack rounding the home turn, but was pushed out extremely wide, losing crucial lengths.
He could have been forgiven for tapping out then but kept finding in the run to the judge to finish just 10 metres from upset winner Clintal Do and runner-up Ohoka Punter.
“He’s got a big heart and did a super job,’’ said Barnes. “I’m very proud of him as not many come from the back at Redcliffe.
“And best of all his heart rate afterwards was 101, which dropped to 87, and that shows there’s still a lot of improvement in him.’’
Northview Hustler fights bravely for fourth in tonight’s Redcliffe Cup.Barnes says the only chance the horse had was to have slipped round the field much earlier in the race in the hope Anthony Butt would have handed up the chair on Franco Totem.
“It turns out he would have and that would have suited us.’’
At the post Franco Totem, trained by Butt’s partner Sonya Smith, held on to third, about four metres in front of Hustler.
“But Hustler keeps on improving and that’s what we wanted to see. I’m rapt with the run. It was just a shame they all shifted out on the turn and pushed us off the track.’’
That left Hustler with a mathematical impossibility as the leaders, hugging the markers, clocked 27.9 and 28.4 for their last two quarters, Hustler trying to make ground on them racing four wide and worse round the tight last two corners.
The Richard March-trained winner was timed over the 2613 metres in 3:13.4, a mile rate of 1:59.1.
The first three home reflected the traditional pattern of racing at the tight triangular track, being in the trail, in front and parked out. Hustler was the first horse home who started off the back mark of 10 metres, just in front of second favourite Lilac Flash.
Lincoln Farms’ flag bearer still has three weeks to reach peak fitness, with the first of his two main targets the A$100,000 Sunshine Sprint to be run at Albion Park on July 13.
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Little Missy Lincoln can stand up for herself in Young Guns fillies’ heat on Friday night
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: The Night Fox
5.44pm
“From a good front line draw Harry can run off the gate and find the front. He’s shown he’s got the speed to get there. And if he can go 2:42 again, or quicker, I thought he’d be a very good winning chance. It’s an easier field than the one he beat last time. He’s trained well this week.”
Race 2: Rivergirl Bella
6.09pm
“She goes down to Cambridge for the first time so it’s a big drop in class. She also goes a lot better left-handed so I thought from the good draw she could run top three.”
Race 3: Lincoln Maree
6.34pm
“She paced a 1:56.7 mile in beating the amateurs last start but it looks like she’ll need a bit of luck from the draw this time. The two inside her like to lead so she could end up three fence or outside them. I’ll leave it up to Harry to get the right trip.”
Race 3: Lincoln Lover
6.34pm
“He’s a place chance. He likes bowling along but from five it’s hard to say where he’ll end up. He’s very consistent and he paced 2:42.3 last time so I can absolutely see him in the money.”
Race 6: Lincoln Linda
8.04pm
“She was in a very strong R40 to R48 race last time at Auckland against horses like Alecto, All Of Me and Cyclone Rebel, and she clocked 2:41.1, so back to Cambridge where she won her first race, and a much easier R38 to R40 field, she’s got to be a good winning chance. She’s best in front if Fergie can get there.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
4.42pm
“I’m not holding my breath with him. We won’t count that last run, when the leader went ballistic and he couldn’t get into the race, but he’s not well placed here.”
Race 4: Spiritual Bliss
6.09pm
“She’s racing really well and this looks a bit easier than last time when she was trapped in the breeze in a strong field. I can’t see how she won’t be right in the fight.”
Race 7: Missy Lincoln
7.34pm
“I didn’t know what to expect on debut but she was very brave. I’m picking she’ll go well again but she’ll need a bit of luck - drawn the second line we’re at the mercy of others. We’ll poke her out and see. At least she won’t get parked this time.”
Race 10: Lincoln Wave
9.07pm
“We’re racing the best horses now but he’ll definitely go better than last time. Tony (Herlihy) said he felt super across the top but once in the straight he flattened out, which I half expected. I had him scoped afterwards just to make sure he was all right but he was short of a run, that’s all.”
Race 10: Johnny Lincoln
9.07pm
“He went super when third last week and Fergie said just wait ’til he gets over 2700 metres, he’ll be a monster. He’s turned into a proper racehorse. From four there’ll be a bit of urgency early and hopefully he can get a suck along and get some of it.”
