Brooklyn Hustle (Image Racing Photos)
Jason Warren knows luck in racing can change quickly and so is hopeful of being on the receiving end this Friday night at The Valley when Brooklyn Hustle takes her latest Group 1 venture in the William Reid Stakes.
Brooklyn Hustle is certainly in the race for the title of luckless horse of the autumn so far following two crowded runs in races no less than the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap at her past two outings, but Warren remains hopeful of a swift turnaround.
"She's been a bit stiff in her last couple and we'd like to think we'll get better luck going forward," Warren said on Tuesday morning after the mare had galloped on the course proper at Mornington.
"The horse is flying and I think she'll get her turn."
That turn was planned initially to be in Sydney as Warren and training partner Dean Krongold eyed the 51.5kg she had in Saturday's G1 Galaxy at Rosehill instead of the 56.5kg she will carry at The Valley.
"We did enter her for both races," he said. "Moonee Valley seems the logical option as it's a track she's run very well at each time she's been there.
"She's won both her races there and run fourth in the Manikato and fourth in the Moir.
"The rain forecast for up there (Sydney) won't suit us but we will look at the weather maps. We've got the horse ready to go. It's a matter of finding the right race."
As for Tuesday's piece of work, Warren said the chestnut did enough without overdoing her final pre-race gallop.
"We just worked her on her own his morning. She's really switched on and sharp in her work and we didn't really want to pair her up with anything today because she would probably do a little bit too much.
"Daniel Stackhouse rode her and he couldn't be happier with her work. Her recovery was excellent, so we are very much ready to go."
The following day, the horse Warren hopes can win him a Derby this autumn takes an important step the Mornington Guineas.
"Confrontational's had a couple of nice runs this time in and he's now getting to a distance (1600m) that is closer to what suits him," he said.
"He worked strongly here on the course proper and Daniel Stackhouse rode him here as well and he couldn't be more happy with his work.
"He's on a South Australian Derby schedule and so this is a stepping-stone race to get him across to South Australia.
"He's by Redoute's Choice and he's a really good progressive horse and as soon as we get him out past 1600 (metres) I think we'll see him really hit his straps."