Weekend Hussler Back In Pre-training
- Wednesday, 09 June 2010 05:45
Weekend Hussler is in pre-training ahead of his return to racing during the spring carnival.
"He's doing some dressage at the moment and we'll probably send him on to the water-walker in a couple of weeks and we'll go from there," trainer Ross McDonald said of the seven-time Group One winner and Horse of the Year for the 2007-08 season.
Now rising six, Weekend Hussler hasn't raced since his first-up 11th of 13, beaten 3-3/4 lengths, to Starspangledbanner in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in February.
Meanwhile, McDonald's son Clinton intends to put promising Mossman gelding Second Effort away until the spring after he landed his first city win in the Unspoken Word Hcp (1000m) at Sandown.
The three-year-old has now had four starts for two wins and two seconds and progressed from a 1200m maiden win at Warrnambool in slow going on May 4.
Ridden by Glen Boss and backed from $5 to $4 favourite, Second Effort showed he was adept in heavy ground on Wednesday, bursting through a gap in the straight and scoring by 1-1/4 lengths from Vals Boy with Baltic Spirit a half-neck away third.
"The 1000 metres was probably a touch short but when he gets to 1200 metres to 1400 metres that's when you'll see a really nice horse," Clinton McDonald said.
"I think he's up to Saturday class. He'll go to the paddock now and we'll bring him back and hopefully find a nice race in the spring for him."
Picture: Sportpix
