FORMER Inter Dominion champion Don Hugo is right where trainer Luke McCarthy wants him ahead of his racetrack return at Menangle on Saturday night.
And that’s a big relief after a nasty health scare two months ago.
Don Hugo fell ill with colic, which derailed his planned raid on the $1.25 million Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park. He was favourite for the race.
“He was really sick there for a few days,” McCarthy said.
“You always worry what that might take out of them, but he’s great. You wouldn’t know he’d had the setback now.”
Don Hugo faces a tricky first-up challenge the way the barriers have fallen in Saturday night’s JD Watts free-for-all at Menangle.
Champion mare Captains Mistress has the pole, stablemate and fast beginner Hi Manameisjeff has gate two and Don Hugo will start from gate five.
“It won’t be easy, but I can’t fault the horse,” McCarthy said. “It’s a starting point and the first of two runs I’ll give him before Brisbane. I’m sure he’ll run well, but whether he can win the way the barriers have fallen is the challenge.”
Captains Mistress has been crunched from $1.40 into $1.15 with Don Hugo $4.80 out to $6. Mile specialist Hi Manameisjeff is also $6.
McCarthy’s other runner, classy former Kiwi pacer Pinseeker, has been scratched.
On the same card, McCarthy is excited to see how his unbeaten Queensland Derby contender The Niteshift goes from a horror draw in a very strong Yabby Dams 3YO Pace (race seven).
“We’ve got a really big opinion of him, so although the draw makes it hard, it’s a chance to find out a lot more about him. He’s cruised to his three wins so far,” he said.
“Jack (Callaghan) loves the horse and he’s won twice on him, so I left him on this week (to drive).”
The Niteshift will start from the outside (gate 10) with key rivals including Jason Grimson’s talented Zeus Lightning (gate six) and brilliant filly Senses (five), who is a half-sister to Leap To Fame.
In other stable news, McCarthy confirmed his Victoria and NZ Cup hero Kingman was back in work with a September return racing on the cards.
“He has six weeks out after NZ and has been back jogging for two weeks,” he said.
“We’ll do what we did last year, go to the Len Smith Mile, Victoria Cup and then back to defend his NZ Cup crown.
“It all just caught up with him a bit towards the end of last campaign and it’s great for him to get that good break and then we go again.”
PHOTO: Dan Costello
