As if the winter of 2024 couldn’t get any better! Sunday’s O’Dea/Hoysted prepared double at the Sunshine Coast raised the season’s total of winners to 60, the last eight achieved in a mere eight days.
HANG FIVE’s dashing, arguably career high performance in dispatching of a Class 4 field at the Sunshine Coast Sunday was complemented two races later by SHOT OF WHISKEY’S comfortable handling of his Class 2 short course rivals.
Beautifully ridden by Justin Huxtable who capitalized on the ideal inside gate, HANG FIVE surged clear to jag his second win on the bounce, something he’d not done previously in a 21 start (5-2-5) race record.
“Our method with this horse is to let him flow for the first few hundred metres just to keep his mind on the job. Then I kept him up on the bridle through the race to keep him interested. He was very honest through the line and I thought it was another credible win,” revealed an understated Huxtable.
Defying a pronounced market drift, the gelding lumped 60kg and was also having his 6th run this preparation. Trainer Matt Hoysted will delay any decision on whether the campaign continues until he monitors how the horse comes through the run.
8 days…8 winners!
All hot runs come to an end eventually but HANG FIVE & SHOT OF WHISKEY ensured it continued for a little while longer with a winning double at the Sunny Coast on Sunday. Both @mmsnippets Jan graduates. Now 60 winners for season 23-24.@ODeaHoysted… pic.twitter.com/UPhAKSfYh7
— PR🟢VEN Thoroughbreds (@ProvenTbreds) July 21, 2024
SHOT OF WHISKEY also made it successive wins in his two starts back from a spell after a lovely, measured ride from Boris Thornton. The SPIRIT OF BOOM 3yo had led from barrier to box at Toowoomba when confronting Class 1 company but Matt and Boris elected to sit just off the pace in Sunday’s event.
Proving his versatility, SHOT OF WHISKEY kicked away inside the final 200m and hung on gamely to score narrowly though decisively.
“He did a really good job, this bloke,” said Thornton post-race.
“He’s started off this prep in fine form and I can’t see any reason why he can’t maintain it.”
With only barrier trials between now and at least Wednesday, the unprecedented run of 8 winners in 8 days will baulk for at least a few days, leaving the final week of July for any additions to what has been a spectacular season.
Both HANG FIVE and SHOT OF WHISKEY were acquired by Proven at the Magic Millions Gold Coast January Sale. The former was a bargain $45,000 yearling from Glenlogan Park while the latter was a $150,000 Westbury Stud graduate.
