Friday night's $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m)
at Moonee Valley featured several horses knocking on the door for a maiden
Group 1 victory and it was the Darren Weir-trained Lucky Hussler who ticked it
off the list when he powered home under Glen Boss.
Not the best to begin Lucky Hussler had the majority of the
field ahead of him coming into the short Moonee Valley straight.
While some of the favoured horses such as Earthquake had
trouble securing a clear run, Lucky Hussler swept down the outside to defeat the
pacesetting Vain Queen (Artie Schiller) by one and three quarter lengths with
last start Randwick winner Griante (Good Journey) a nose back in third.
Making his first start since finishing second to Hucklebuck
in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington last November, Lucky Hussler
advances his overall record to 6 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds from 26 starts
for earnings of $890,600.
A dual Group III winner in Brisbane when trained by Kent
Fleming, Lucky Hussler has bloomed under the training of Weir who got the son
of Husson (ARG) after he finished last in the Stradbroke Handicap.
He has not been off the board in five starts for Weir
including a win in the Group III Moonga Stakes at Caulfield, which preceded his
Emirates Stakes second.
"It's a real thrill for the stable, Weir said
"I'd like to thank Bossy for a great ride and for talking
the owners into running him tonight. "
Boss said he pushed hard to get the owners to start Lucky
Hussler in the race as the original plan was a first-up tile at the Group 1 TJ
Smith Stakes at Randwick.
"I said there was 240,000 (dollars) there to take, Boss
said.
"I finally talked him into running because Weiry really
wanted to run him here."
A $100,000 purchase from the Monarch Stud draft at the 2011
Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale, Lucky Hussler takes his overall record
is closely related to the champion Weekend Hussler.
The former Australian Horse Of The Year is by Hussonet (USA)
out of the Helissio mare Weekend Beauty, while Lucky Hussler is by Hussonet's
son Husson (ARG) out of Weekend Beauty's daughter Talaq Dancer a daughter of
Black Hawk.
Tragically, Lucky Hussler is the only foal of Talaq Dancer who
died in October 2011.
From the first Australian crop by the striking chestnut Husson (ARG) (pictured), Lucky Hussler becomes the first Group 1 winner in Australia for his sire.
After five seasons at Patinack Farm, Husson (ARG) moved to Vinery
Stud where he covered 68 mares in 2014 at a fee of $13,200.
Husson (ARG) has four lots catalogued for the upcoming
Easter Yearling sale and all look worthy of inspection highlighted by colts out
of the Group 1 winners Sun Classique and Bel Mer.
