Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred five-year-old Hugotastic looks set for bigger and better things after not being extended in winning easily at his first three starts in Western Australia.
He was the $1.50 favourite when he began smartly for reinsman Gary Hall Jnr from barrier four and took the lead after 150m on his way to winning by two lengths from the fast-finishing $8 chance Ideal Muscle, rating 1.57.2 over the 2130m journey in strong, gusty winds.
Hugotastic’s trainer Michael Brennan has a high opinion of the Sweet Lou gelding, but he was conservative in his praise after his impressive victory, saying: “It was easy for him, but things will get harder.
“He will keep rolling through the grades and we will see how he goes, and then we will work out where we will go with him. He was offered to a WA trainer, who didn’t like him. So, I bought him and am racing him with a syndicate of my owners. We paid a decent amount for him.”
Four-year-old Ideal Muscle, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, will pay to follow. He began smartly from the No. 2 barrier but was unable to cross the polemarker Chasing Hill before De Campo eased him to the pegs. He raced three back on the inside, in fifth position, and was badly hampered for room until getting into the clear in the final stages.