Trainer Peter Morgan will be looking to prove the naysayers wrong when Huxssen attempts to win his first race in nearly two years at Sandown.
Morgan took control of the six-year-old this campaign and was so pleased with his first-up run at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day that he has decided to back him up in Saturday’s Listed Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m).
“They tell me he doesn’t back up but I haven’t trained him until now so we will see what happens on Saturday,” Morgan said.
“If he runs a big race I will be a hero but then again he might run last so it will be interesting.”
Huxssen always promised to be a big-race performer but niggling injuries have restricted him throughout his career.
The winner of five of 21 starts, his only feature success was his most recent win in the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington in February last year when he weaved a passage through the field from a seemingly impossible position.
Rodney Douglas trained Huxssen for most of his career and the gelding had one run for Jim Conlan last Christmas before switching to Morgan, renowned for patching up injury-plagued gallopers with water-based therapy.
“Most of his (Huxssen’s) problems are wear and tear in the neck, back and joints which happens as horses get older,” Morgan said.
“The water-walker and pool saves horses like him.”
Huxssen was one of the outsiders at $41 when he resumed in the MSS Security Sprint (1200m) at Flemington and Morgan believes he could have finished in the placings instead of just behind them in sixth place had he been drawn on a better part of the track.
He settled last of the 20 runners and finished within four lengths of the winner Facile Tigre.
“I think if he had drawn the outside we would have had a collect, but being on the inside and coming clear of the pack and then drifting back to the inside he lost ground,” Morgan said.
“I’m happy with the horse at the moment, he’s feeling well, and the 1300 metres should suit him on Saturday.”
AAP TURF
