Melbourne’s premiership trainer Darren Weir will be chasing his first Group 1 win in New South Wales when he saddles up Lucky Hussler in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Trainer Darren Weir is looking for another Group 1 win in the All Aged Stakes with Lucky Hussler. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Weir has trained seven Group 1 winners since he started training in 2000 and is on his way to winning his second Melbourne trainer’s premiership.
Lucky Hussler provided Weir with his seventh Group 1 win when he stormed home in the $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 27.
That was Weir’s third Group 1 for the 2014 – 2015 racing season after Trust In A Gust collected a double at Caulfield during the Melbourne Spring Carnival with wins in the Group 1 $400,000 Bendigo Bank East Malvern Sir Rupert Clarke Charity Cup (1400m) and the Group 1 $400,000 David Jones NBCF Toorak Handicap (1600m).
His other Group 1 victories were She’s Archie in the 2002 South Australian Oaks, Platelet’s Group 1 winning double during the 2013 Adelaide Autumn Carnival in the Robert Sangster Stakes and The Goodwood and May’s Dream in the 2014 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.
Weir is always looking for new challenges and the next on the agenda is more Group 1 victories and he gets his chance with Lucky Hussler this weekend.
“It is nice to have horses good enough to run in these top races,” Weir told the Herald Sun.
“It is one thing to win a lot of races, which is the bread and butter of my job, but it is important, too, to produce Group 1 runners and hopefully winners.
“It is a new mountain, a new challenge.”
Lucky Hussler will be facing another tough field in the weight for age feature on the last day of the Sydney Autumn Carnival and Weir said that the Husson gelding is in fine order following his Moonee Valley win.
“He’s going great and, even though it is a hot race on Saturday, he’ll take his chance,” Weir said.
The line up for the All Aged Stakes is looking top class with nine other Group 1 winners featuring in the nominations, including last start Group 1 T J Smith Stakes winner Chautauqua and Peter Moody’s four time Group 1 winner Dissident.
Rebel Dane is also back in Sydney after finishing sixth to Lucky Hussler in the William Reid Stakes and trainer Gary Portelli is expecting a better showing from the five year old who will be ridden further back in the field this week.
All Aged Stakes market order with Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.50 Chautauqua, $4.60 Lucky Hussler, $4.80 Shooting To Win, $6 Terravista, $7 Wandjina, $8 Dissident, $13 Rebel Dane, $14 Generalife, $17 Scissor Kick, $31 Burbero, Famous Seamus, Laser Hawk, $41 Bull Point, Fast ‘N’ Rocking, Fontelina, $51 Weary, $67 Monton, $101 Moriarty.
