Horn Player. Photo by Club Menangle
FIVE-YEAR-OLD stallion Horn Player has shown more than his share of ability throughout his racing career.
Still, his rise through the ranks this season has been unprecedented.
Now he is set to take on the best pacers in Australasia in Saturday night’s $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton.
Since joining Brad Hewitt’s stable in January, the son of Sweet Lou has won six of his 20 starts for the Goulburn mentor, including the heat and final of the TAB Regional Metropolitan Championships, amassing a handy $176,000 in prizemoney for owner Daniel Cordina this year.
Hewitt is under no illusion that Saturday night will be Horn Player’s biggest test yet, made even more challenging by a sticky gate five draw, taking on some of the best in the land including reigning Australian Horse Of The Year Leap To Fame.
“This fellow has been a revelation since joining our stable,” said Hewitt.
“He was in Mat Rue’s care before coming to me and arrived here in great nick.
“The horse has thrived though, and we have tried to place him carefully to allow him to mature into a racehorse that can cope with the high-pressure racing.
“It is not going to be an easy assignment on Saturday, but I do believe he has earned a crack at the Cup.”
Tuesday morning’s barrier draw, where Leap To Fame drew awkwardly on the inside of the backline, caused a minor change to the TAB fixed odds market.
However, the Queensland champion remains as the hot favourite at $1.55 despite the adverse draw and his shock defeat at Melton last Saturday night at the hands of outsider Bulletproof Boy.
While the support has been strong for last-start New South Wales winner Kingman, who sits on the second line of betting at $4.80, there has also been a move for Andy and Kate Gath’s Catch A Wave after he drew the inside barrier, firming from $11 to $6, just after the betting markets re-opened.
