Dual Group 1 winner Trust In A Gust is still on track for a start in the Group 1 $500,000 UBET BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 9 despite being beaten first up at Caulfield last Saturday.
Trust In A Gust will head to Brisbane for the BTC Cup at Doomben. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The Darren Weir trained Trust In A Gust was sent out as an odds on favourite in the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m) and after racing in the first three for the majority of the race was able to gain the lead at the 350m but was grabbed right on the line but $51 outsider Red Bomber.
Weir was happy with the run and said that Trust In A Gust’s condition just gave out over the final stages.
“He was good, his condition just gave out a little bit in the end,” Weir told racing.com.
“We thought we had him at the right spot, but the other horse was just too good.
“He’ll now go to the BTC Cup.”
The BTC Cup is the first of the Group 1 sprinting treble during the Brisbane Winter Carnival and is followed by the $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 23 and the $2m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 6.
Because of the reconstruction work to the Eagle Farm course proper, the Stradbroke Handicap has to be moved from it’s traditional home and the distance has been reduced from 1400m to 1350m.
Trust In A Gust has won ten of his eighteen races and worked his way up through the grades before winning the first of his two Group 1 victories in downing Dissident in the $400,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Then at his next start the Keep The Faith stallion was a convincing winner over Speediness in the Group 1 $400,000 David Jones NBCF Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11.
Weir’s other Group 1 winner Lucky Hussler is likely to join Trust In A Gust in Brisbane for the Winter Carnival after finishing sixth, one and a quarter lengths behind Dissident, in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday.
Lucky Hussler scored his maiden Group 1 win when he came from back in the field to take out the $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 27.
Weir is yet to map out a Winter Carnival program for Lucky Hussler but the premiership winning trainer is considering the Stradbroke Handicap as a winter target.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do with him yet,” Weir said.
“He’ll probably go to Brisbane, but I just don’t know what races.
“The Stradbroke looks a good race for him, but it’s seven weeks away.”
