FANS will have to wait a bit longer to see Don Hugo, but Luke McCarthy will still seriously launch his Queensland winter raid at Albion Park on Saturday night.
McCarthy confirmed he would now freshen-up Don Hugo and give him three weeks between races ahead of the opening round of Inter Dominion heats at Albion Park on July 5.
The defending Inter Dominion champion looked terrific making it two wins from as many runs this campaign when he thrashed a handy field at Menangle last Saturday night.
Don Hugo looks by far the major threat to local hero Leap To Fame in the Inter Dominion pacing series.
While Don Hugo will be resting, McCarthy still has a very busy night on Saturday.
The champion horseman has runners across five races at Albion Park, headlined by Australia’s best mare, Eye Keep Smiling, in the Garrards Horse & Hound Mares’ Open Pace (race seven).
Eye Keep Smiling will dominate betting from gate five and the key rivals are Steno (gate nine), The Vicar Of Dibley (three) and Chynchilla (eight).
McCarthy’s raid starts with the consistent and much-travelled Our Vincent Can Gogh from barrier four in race one.
His recent Kiwi import Beach Ball, who ran second to Don Hugo at Menangle last Saturday, looks at least a place chance again from gate eight against champion Leap To Fame (gate two) in the Lucky Creek Open (2680m).
McCarthy’s Inter Dominion-bound trotter Constantinople has early speed and gate four in the Pryde’s Easifeed Trotting Feature (race four), but faces tough opposition from star Kiwi Oscar Bonavena (gate six) and Gus (nine).
Much interest will also focus on McCarthy’s brilliant three-year-old Hesitate, who takes on older rivals from gate three in race eight.
Hesitate looms as a major player in both the Group 1 Rising Sun on July 5 and the Group 1 Queensland Derby on July 19.
McCarthy is also caretaker trainer and driver for Mick Stanley with classy filly Soho Americano, who will be hard to beat despite a wide draw (gate seven) in race nine.
Soho Americano’s major target is the Group 1 Queensland Oaks.
