Hussousa has been sent for a spell after suffering shin soreness and will miss the Golden Slipper - photo (c) Steve Hart
Patinack Farm’s filly Hussousa has gone shin sore and is out of the Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) to be run at Rosehill on April 7.
Trainer John Thompson will now send the Husson filly to the paddock for a spell with races in the spring now a likely target.
Hussousa was a $15 chance in current Slipper betting behind short priced favourite Samaready ($2.40) and the Team Hawkes trained All Too Hard at $6.
The withdrawal of Hussousa who was ninth in order of entry for the Slipper, will open up the door for several other two year olds who were on the borderline for entry.
Hussousa had secured $170,000 in prize money from one win, two seconds and a third from four starts and showed that she was not far off the pace when a solid second to Samaready in the Group 2 $300,000 Jacobs Creek Reisling Slipper Trial (1200m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
The scratching of Hussousa won’t affect All Too Hard who is guaranteed a start in the Slipper if the Hawkes team decide to run him.
The unbeaten Casino Prince colt will run on Saturday at Rosehill in the Group 2 $175,000 Bowermans Office Furniture Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) and a decision to run the following week in the Sllipper will be made sometime over the weekend.
“We want to see how he is on Saturday and we’ll make a decision over the weekend where he goes and what he does,” Michael Hawkes said.
“Obviously it’s there and you’ve got to think about those things but the horse comes first and that’s number one with us. Always has been and always will be.”
“You don’t really know with babies if they can back up but he’s such a relaxed, cool, calm and collected customer that nothing worries him.”
If Hawkes decides to miss the Slipper, the Group 1 $500,000 Inglis Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 14 and the Group 1 $400,000 Champagne Stakes (1600m) At Randwick the week later are options.
All Too Hard is the half brother to unbeaten superstar Black Caviar and bought a price tag of $1.025m at the Australian Inglis Easter Sales last year when Patinack Farm’s Nathan Tinkler won the bidding.
The Hawkes team have been patient to date preparing the expensive colt for two wins from two starts.
All Too Hard was most impressive at his race debut scoring from Liberty Rock in the Listed $100,000 Talindert Stakes (1100m) down the straight at Flemington on February 18 then he repeated that with an effortless four length win in the Group 2 $250,000 Henry Bucks Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 10.
“He’s a high calibre horse that has been thrown in the deep end and he’s been able to do it twice,” Michael Hawkes said.
“He’s got big shoes to fill but in saying that he’s a horse now that’s in his own right.”
“Whatever he does from now on in will be in his own two shoes, which is the best thing for him.”
Hawkes said the youngster has settled in well at their Rosehill stables after travelling up from Flemington and the early betting for Saturday has him posted as a short price $1.45 favourite in the Pago Pago ahead of the Kevin Moses trained Collect at $4.50.
