Don Hugo winning the 2025 Blacks A Fake
CHAMPION trainer Luke McCarthy really flexes his muscle across two venues this weekend.
McCarthy’s Victorian continues when his new pacing sensation Kingman tries to extend his dominance to 4-0 over Queensland champion Leap To Fame in tomorrow night’s $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup (2710m).
The Cobbitty horseman also has two of Australia’s best mares, Eye Keep Smiling and Steno, in the first leg of a Victoria mares’ triple crown, the $50,000 Make Mine Cullen (1710m) at Ballarat.
At Menangle tomorrow night, McCarthy has six runners, headed by his reigning Miracle Mile hero Don Hugo in a fascinating PJ Hall free-for-all (1609m).
Don Hugo, who beat Leap To Fame in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake in Brisbane last month, has gate two and will stalk exciting former Kiwi pacer and likely leader Rakero Rocket (gate one) every step of the way.
Rakero Rocket underlined his potential when he scorched the second fastest mile in Australasian history, a 1min47.3sec, winning at just his second run for trainer Jason Grimson at Menangle 13 days ago.
Grimson has declared him a huge Miracle Mile player.
With McCarthy committed to the big Ballarat drives, young gun Jack Callaghan will take the reins on Don Hugo.
Callaghan recently returned to NSW to work for McCarthy after stints in the US and Western Australia.
Don Hugo has eased from $1.80 to $2 with big support for Rakero Rocket ($2 into $1.70).
At Ballarat, Kingman will face a harder task than last week with Leap To Fame getting a barrier draw advantage this week.
Leap To Fame is expected to work across from a wide draw and find the lead, while Kingman is the lone back row runner from gate eight.
“The record says we’re 3-0 against him, but Leap To Fame has been enormous in defeat each time. He’s been the benchmark for three years and the way the draws have landed, he’s going to be very hard to beat.
“But Kingman has bounced out of last week superbly and he’s a horse still on the up.”
McCarthy said Eye Keep Smiling, who won 12 of 14 starts against her own sex last year, was primed to win at her first start since September 6.
“She sure is. She’s been raring to go for three weeks or more, but there hasn’t been a suitable race for her,” he said.
McCarthy will drive Eye Keep Smiling with Nathan Jack aboard Steno, a winner of 23 races and almost $620,000, at her first run for McCarthy’s stable.
“She’s all class and trialled really last week. It’s a big first-up test and she’ll improve on whatever she does, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she gave it a big shake,” McCarthy said.
PHOTO: Don Hugo - Dan Costello
