Champs Spar Before Main Bout

The Age

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Stephen Howell

Star pair have easy 'kills' before the Underwood, Stephen Howell writes.

FOR Weekend Hussler and Light Fantastic, it wasn't exactly a case of "any work you can do, I can do better" because, with the same Saturday target, their gallops on the course proper at Caulfield yesterday were always going to be similar.

Nevertheless, with one working minutes after the other, it was easy to talk "duelling trackwork" as the glamour geldings prepared for the 1800-metre Underwood Stakes, round three of their clashes.

After round one, it seemed the grey Light Fantastic was in the process of knocking the Hussler off his pedestal as Australia's best. But the champ's supreme win and Light Fantastic's anything-but-fantastic fourth in round two made their opener appear an aberration.

The Hussler got the jump on work yesterday, setting off just before the turn out of the straight with another grey referred to only as Stablemate.

"The name's irrelevant," said Clinton McDonald, son of trainer Ross. Track rider Les Beer's instructions were "seven evens, home three", which translates as 1400 metres at 15 seconds each 200, speeding up the final 600. Weekend Hussler followed his workmate, rounded him up on the home turn and had cleared out by five or six lengths at the post.

The only member of the training team not walking on air was Margaret, Ross' wife and the Hussler's handler. And that was only because she couldn't - she was limping along in Ugg boots because her horse trod on her toe and broke it just before he won at Flemington on September 6. She admitted to being very sore, and to being delighted with the bay's work and wellbeing.

Soon afterwards, Light Fantastic, ridden by Craig Newitt, trailed a stablemate from the crossing on the side of the course, picked up around the back, hauled him in at the corner and "won" by almost as much as Weekend Hussler.

Trainer Mick Price clocked Light Fantastic's last 400 metres at 23.16 seconds and said the four-year-old had something up his sleeve.

"Going good; happy with him; freshened up; raced a bit dour second-up, but we're over that," was his shorthand appraisal.

His assessment of the Underwood chance against Weekend Hussler was just as succinct. "I'm very positive on it, but I don't have any information to suggest that I can beat him .

"No doubt we caught Weekend Hussler on an off-day (when Light Fantastic won the Liston Stakes, 1400 metres, on August 16). That's fine, to beat him you probably need to catch him on an off-day. He caught me on an off-day second-up (in the Makybe Diva Stakes, 1600 metres), but it was a big off-day.

"I've given him a little freshen, I've changed his work around a little bit. He hit the line good, it was one of his better gallops."

Price said it would be interesting to see how both horses handled the 1800 metres.

Clinton McDonald exuded confidence about Weekend Hussler, saying his advantage was that he had been seasoned with spring and autumn racing and autumn travel to Sydney. "He's mentally a tough nut and it shows."

If McDonald's comments are any guide, the horse gets the same tough love the family gets. Asked how his mother's toe was, he said: "She's still limping around, but I think it's feeling OK after this morning's work." Then he joked that if he trod on her again, he would check to make sure the champ's foot wasn't bruised.

© 2008 The Age

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