4YO gelding HANG FIVE overcame the dreaded three-wide-no cover position to win at the Sunshine Coast on Friday night.
Torrential weather saw the Sunshine Coast track rated heavy, a surface HANG FIVE had never seen. However, he was yet to miss a place in two runs on soft forming part of a tidy overall record that boasts a top five finish in 14 of his 17 starts.
The son of ASTERN stuck on resolutely in the home straight to defeat MAXIE TAP by 0.8L with a further 0.2L to TRES REDOUTE in third.
HANG FIVE was 3-wide, no cover but showed plenty of grit under @justinh_23 to win the 1200m Class 3 at @SCTurfClub for the @ODeaHoysted stable. An inexpensive $45k yearling from @GlenloganPark at @mmsnippets, the son of ASTERN has now won $112k from a record that reads 17:3-2-5. pic.twitter.com/7JthRknapv
— PR🟢VEN Thoroughbreds (@ProvenTbreds) April 14, 2024
“That wasn’t my plan going into it even though it was probably better ground out there,” winning hoop Justin Huxtable said of the wide course the pair charted.
“The horse had to do it the hard way and to his credit he fought them all off.”
The race time was 1.12:59 with the last 600m covered in 36.00.
“Almost a second faster overall than the Maiden over 1200m,” times analyst Nic Ashman said.
With winter setting in and the prospect of more wet tracks, HANG FIVE could find another suitable race. That’s not to say he needs it, the four-year-old is a two-time winner on the dry.
HANG FIVE was a $45,000 yearling purchase from Glenlogan Park’s draft of the 2021 Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast.
He was the 35th winner for Proven Thoroughbreds this season with our prizemoney now amassing $15,085,575.