Hutchy the Hamperman Strikes Again
- Wednesday, 22 December 2004 00:00
Danzig Delight returns a winner on debut
Sale Turf Club held its Christmas break-up meeting on Monday with all winning trainers receiving a Christmas hamper. For the second time in three years the Hutchins stable trained a treble on the day, ensuring there will be no shortage of Christmas goodies come Saturday.
It was a grand return to form by the combination of Ian Hutchins and Vlad Duric (who rode all the stable’s three winners), the two having formed a formidable partnership over recent years with a swag of successes.
By Ian’s own admission it had been a little quiet of late.
“You go through stages in this game where things don’t quite work out, but you just have to stick at it.”
Duric signaled he was back to his best with the treble, while Ben Melham and Luke Nolan rode doubles.
Matching Hutchins’ training performance with a treble was last season’s most successful trainer on Gippsland tracks, Peter Moody. He and Hutchins accounted for six of the first seven races.
The first of the Duric - Hutchins winners was first starter, Danzig Delight.
“There’s a bit of a story to this horse,” said Ian.
“I went to Adelaide two years ago to the Magic Millions sales and inspected quite a few horses prior. He was one of them.
“He was one of the last lots to go up and I thought he was about a $15-20,000 horse.
“By the time he came in I had bought three horses and already well and truly spent my money, but I thought I’d go up and see what he made.
“I was amazed he only went for $6,500 and I bought him. I came home to Jan (wife) and said we’d race him ourselves.
“Then in August last year I had a horse running called Tumbledown Waddy, which my father part owned and he had promised the horse to the stable strapper, Tanja Sorich, for a show horse once he’d finished racing.
“On that day Tumbledown Waddy was put down and Tanja was very upset as she had a real affinity with the horse.
“We had a think about things and I told her we’d give her a share in the Danzig Connection horse (which is now Danzig Delight) to help make up for the loss. It’s her first horse, her first runner as an owner and her first winner,” so we’re thrilled things have worked out this way.
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Sale City flies home to win
It proved to be a big day for Tanja, who was one of a throng of owners to buy a $100 share in the Sale Turf Club’s syndication of Sale City, which won the 1400 metre class one for Hutchins and Duric.
“I had the chance to run him at Cranbourne in a maiden yesterday or at Sale today in the class one,” said Ian.
“It was a case of him having an extra two and a half kilos off his back here and I don’t think he likes the tighter tracks, so I thought Sale would suit him better.
“He won over 1400 metres today, but he definitely wants more ground now and I think he will get 2000 metres.
“The club syndicated him to have some fun and I think they will have some with him.”
Sale City was slow away, but a patient ride by Duric, who timed his run to perfection, saw the horse up right on the line at only his fourth run for his new owners.
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The other stable winner was Larapinta, which was first up after a long nine month lay-off.
“This horse is owned by my brother-in-law Ross Whykes. We went to a dispersal sale to look at a Quest For Fame horse, but came home with this fellow,” said Ian.
“He’s a nice horse who will get 1600 metres and he should work his way through his classes.”
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At Cranbourne on Sunday, Moe trainer, Tracey Templeton broke through with her three year-old filly, Palace Queen, after three consecutive seconds.
Given the filly’s consistency it was surprising she paid over $12 on the tote.
Tracey’s husband and well known jockey, Paul, said “this little horse goes very well and she’s got a great attitude.”
“Unfortunately she’s had a terrible run with bad barriers and it has probably cost her. She had another bad barrier on Sunday, but was able to overcome it.
“Peter (Mertens) was able to get some cover and she got to the line very well.
Paul said her next start would probably be at Mornington next week and that in time she would probably be suited to the 1600 metres.
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There were a number of solid performances from Gippsland trained horses at Sale on Tuesday and those to follow in the coming weeks include Customline.
In her first race start, she led until the shadows at 30/1 and was beaten under half a length into third place for Bairnsdale trainer, Greg Counihan.
Grand legend for Stony Creek’s Peter Sutherland fought on very well in the 1100 metre class four and could be looking for 1400 metres now, so keep an eye out for him.
Ballyashes for Sale’s Mario Farrugia ran a strong second and is not far away from another win and finally, little Tawny Bird for Bairnsdale’s Bill Pallot fought on superbly after being caught wide throughout in the 1100 metre Class One and should also win soon.
Media Release - Tim Bull (Gippsland Racing)
