Tweak Keeps the Cerise Ball Rolling
- Monday, 12 August 2002 00:00
Yesterday at Flemington the talented four-year-old Tweak made if four wins in two days for the stable when he scored a one length win in the Rosemary Kenny Handicap (1800m).
A day earlier the stable won three races, including one dead heat success, to take training honours. The Sandown success came thanks to outright winners Old Man and Gradual and the dead heat winner Philotimo.
"We always seem to make a good start to the season," Hawkes' son and Melbourne foreman Wayne said.
"The new season, perhaps it's the new look that's doing the trick," he added. Hawkes along with leading jockeys Stephen Baster, Darren Gauci and Greg Childs had their heads shaved on Friday afternoon to raise money for Bluey Day.
Hawkes went close to a winning double at Flemington only to be denied when the former Sydney based Dashiki was run down in the shadows of the post by the Michael Moroney trained Auckland Blues.
Tweak's winning jockey yesterday Darren Gauci, who was also displaying the sleek shaved head, was given lavish praise by Wayne Hawkes.
"He's just sensational on front runners," Hawkes said. "He gets them to the front and then rates them perfectly."
Hawkes, at this early stage to the season, heads the Melbourne training premiership over Tony McEvoy and Michael Moroney.
It's funny what a couple of weeks can hold. In the last three weeks to the season the Hawkes stable couldn't buy a winner to try and knock off Lee Freedman in the premiership race, but now they are back to winning form.
"Yeah it's amazing how it works like that," Hawkes said. "We couldn't do a thing right during July, but now with the better horses stepping out the form has again switched around."