Trackwork rider Willie Hulbert’s calming influence on horses has earned his father Peter an impressive new stable acquisition in Salut The Solution.
Although now a six-year-old, Salut the Solution has been racing in career-best form since joining the Peter Hulbert stable in June.
Salut The Solution will be having his first middle-distance start in Brisbane when he tackles the SITA Australia Plate (2020m) at Doomben on Saturday.
The gelding did most of his racing in NSW country areas where he won up to 2100m at Dubbo, Taree and Orange.
Hulbert said Salut The Solution had bloomed since he joined his stable.
“After he won at Orange he was then bought to race in the north Queensland staying cups. But they couldn’t get his feet right in time,” Hulbert said.
“We have a bit of reputation in handling horses with bad feet and my son Willie has a reputation with horses who go hard in their trackwork.
“And boy does he want to go hard. But with the work on the track and some beach work the horse is going well.”
Salut The Solution charged home to beat two handy horses in Treasure Map and Lord Lonhro at Ipswich in his second start for Hulbert.
However, his next two starts were also eye-catchers when an unlucky seventh behind What About Me at Doomben and then a narrow second to Vaz De Torres at the same track last week.
“You could make a case to say he should have won his past two starts,” he said.
Hulbert has long been a success story in Brisbane racing and has had a recent run with other winners including Will’s Choice, Endless Puzzle and Topending.
“Things have been going okay and this horse deserves to win a race in the city,” he said.
