Mick Stanley trained-and-driven Hilltop Hustler will line up in the Ararat Pacing Cup on Saturday night.
MICHAEL Stanley’s Hilltop Hustler looks well-placed in Saturday night’s Renown Silverware Ararat Pacing Cup.
The Burrumbeet five-year-old gelding will come out of barrier nine in the 2570-metre race, which carries stake money of $25,505.
Hilltop Hustler won at Horsham two starts back in the $8505 O’Keefe before a game third off a 20-metre handicap in the Boort Pacing Cup on March 15.
“At Boort he pinned the ears back and had a real crack,” said Stanley, who trains and drives Hilltop Hustler.
“He’s a tough little bugger. He leaves everything out on the track … He should be hard to beat.”
Hilltop Hustler is a winner of 12 races from 52 starts for stake earnings of $107,626.
He has placed on a further 13 occasions.
At about this time last year he won the Warragul Pacing Cup defeating Lovable Larrikin by 1.3 metres and Savesomtimetodream by seven off equal marks.
The latter, trained by Paul Rowse at Ross Creek, has to spot Hilltop Hustler 10 metres from the stand start conditions at Ararat.
“It’s not going to be easy from the second row but he’s working as good as ever,” Stanley said.
“It’s an even sort of field.”
Stanley withdrew Hilltop Hustler from a recent Melton meeting because the pacer had a virus. But a round of antibiotics has cleared up the charge’s ailment and he’s expected to be fit and firing for the Ararat feature.
Twelve horses have accepted for the Renown Silverware Ararat Pacing Cup, which will be run at 10pm.
Club secretary Lloyd Grice said former AFL player turned RSN radio host Mick McGuane would be on-course master of ceremonies at Ararat, filing roving reports over the microphone and helping run the punters’ club.
“It’ll be great having Mick there,” Grice said.
Patrons can purchase punters’ club tickets for $10 and they essentially can’t lose, because everyone who purchases a $10 ticket will receive a $10 TAB voucher.
“You’ve got your money back before there’s even been a race won,” Grice said.
The club has organised plenty of children’s activities but the club is hoping to attract a mix of patrons including families, punters and people just keen for a great social outing.
“There’ll be plenty for the families but there will be plenty for everyone,” Grice said.
“We’re hoping to get a great crowd for the Easter Saturday meeting.
“We’ll even have the Easter Bunny there handing out some goodies for the kids.”
A $1000 TAB voucher will be won on the night via Harness Racing Victoria’s TAB Trots Selfies competition with patrons simply having to post a “selfie” on to facebook.com/trotselfies with the most creative entry taking the coin.
The 10-race card gets under way at 6.25pm with the last at 11pm.
The Clive Reid Memorial Ararat Trotters Cup will also be held at 8.30pm with in-form Death Defying sure to prove hard to beat with Nathan Jack in the sulky for trainer Kari Males.
