BATHURST trainer Bernie Hewitt’s annual pilgrimage to Queensland has started in stunning style and he’s aiming even higher.
Two of Hewitt’s stars Sweet On Lexy and Jungle Dragon ran super times and won by a combined 28.8 metres at Albion Park last Saturday night.
Sweet On Lexy’s win should see him zoom up the Inter Dominion rankings and there’s a strong chance he will head that way rather than the $300,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 4.
That would avoid a stable clash of the four-year-olds with Jungle Dragon focused on the Rising Sun.
Jungle Dragon (gate five) will back-up again tomorrow night where he rises in class to face the likes of Final Deadline (gate two), Cool And Classy (seven) and last year’s Rising Sun winner Fate Awaits (eight).
“It’s a strong race, isn’t it, but it’ll give us a good guide where he’s at, heading towards the Rising Sun,” Hewitt said.
“Sweet On Lexy won’t race again for a couple of weeks because it’s Redcliffe next week and the small track won’t suit him, but we’re hoping his terrific win last Saturday and the time he went will really boost his Inter Dominion ranking.
“There’s a good chance he could go that way, rather than the Rising Sun if he climbs the rankings.”
Sweet On Lexy and Jungle Dragon are two of the stars of an 11-horse team Hewitt took to Brisbane a month ago, to train from his daughter, Gemma’s, stables.
The other headline act is lightly raced three-year-old Yottie, who launches his Brisbane raid on Saturday night at Albion Park.
“I’ve got a really big opinion of him. He’s up with the best three-year-olds I’ve trained,” Hewitt said.
“He’s only a veteran of eight starts, but he’s already shown so much. He ran third in the NSW Derby when the race was a bit of an afterthought and the short trip (1609m) didn’t suit him, then he went to Bathurst and ran a fantastic second in the Gold Chalice (March 28).
“He thrived during a break after that and is raring to go. I was going to run him last week, but the race didn’t stand up.
“It did stand up this week and even with just the six runners, it’s a really strong race and he’s drawn the outside.
“The Queensland Derby (July 18) is his target. I won’t take him to the small track (Redcliffe) for their Derby next week, I’ll wait and go to the South-East Derby back at Albion Park and then into the Queensland Derby.
“I’ve got a horse called Berocca Bernie for the Redcliffe Derby.”
PHOTO: Toby Coutts
