Hawkspur gets ready for Spring return

Brisbane Winter Carnival find Hawkspur is one step closer to a return to the racetrack for the Spring Carnival after trialling at Rosehill today.

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Hawkspur with Jim Cassidy winning the 2013 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Hawkspur, with Jim Cassidy in the saddle was just nutted for third place by Sincero behind Group 1 winners Streama and Scared Falls in the 900m trial after racing on the pace.

Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller took Hawkspur to Brisbane for the winter following some fair Sydney Autumn Carnival form and the then three year old improved tremendously as the his race distances were increased.

Hawkspur was unbeaten from three starts in the Sunshine State and made it a hat trick of wins in the Group 1 $500,000 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 8.

The promising stayer had previous won the Group 3 $125,000 Mittys Rough Habit Plate (2100m) at Eagle Farm and the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben in the lead up to the Derby.

Hawkspur’s Spring carnival program will be aimed towards the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 5.

Group 1 winning stablemates Shoot Out and Foreteller didn’t finish far off the pace in fourth and fifth spots with both going to the line under double wraps.

Shoot Out, a winner of five Group 1 races will resume in the Group 2 $175,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on August 24.

While Foreteller will concentrate on a Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign and will target the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 2 after finishing fifth to Glass Harmonium in 2011.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.