A frustrating autumn for the Hawkes team was pushed into the background when former crock Niwot produced the goods to beat Efficient and Once Were Wild in the gruelling Sydney Cup.
John Hawkes, who trains in partnership with sons Michael and Wayne, said the seven-year-old’s Group One win was the more satisfying for the many problems he had endured.
It also helped ease the pain of Group One seconds by All Too Hard in the Sires’ Produce Stakes and Polish Knight in the Australian Derby.
Permit had been favourite for the Sydney Cup (3200m) in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s race at Randwick but eased to $4.60 with Niwot starting the punters’ elect at $4.20.
Outsider Solid Billing took up his customary position in the lead with Niwot in a comfortable position midfield.
Permit was a spent force before the home turn and the business end of the race came down to a slog between two hardened performers with Niwot prevailing by a long neck over Efficient with a half-length to Once Were Wild.
“It is very satisfying,” John Hawkes said.
“He is not an easy horse to train and a lot of hard work went into him early.
“He had 18 months off and the vets said he would never race again.
“We don’t want to X-ray him because we don’t want to see what’s there.
“He’s had a great preparation and hopefully we can get him to the Melbourne Cup again.”
Niwot was off the scene from June 2009 to February last year after shattering the bones in the back of a knee.
His win in the Lexus Stakes in October qualified him for the Melbourne Cup in which he ran eighth to Dunaden.
The former trainer for the Inghams’ Woodlands operation, Hawkes quit the post 4-1/2 years ago to go into business with his sons.
“It’s fantastic to be able to win a race like this with the boys,” Hawkes said.
“We aren’t big anymore but we’ve got great owners and this makes it even more enjoyable.
“It’s been a long, long year.”
It has also been a long journey for 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient who has been sparingly raced over the past few years.
“It’s good to see him back in a semblance of his former form,” owner Lloyd Williams’ son Nick said.
“We’d like to think he could get to the first Tuesday in November again.”
It was Michael Rodd’s first ride on Efficient since the Melbourne Cup win and he admitted it was a thrill.
“It was amazing,” he said.
“I got a bit excited.”
Winning jockey Dwayne Dunn was also happy to get a score on the board after four Group One seconds over the Sydney autumn including All Too Hard and Polish Knight.
“It’s been hard running second all the time,” he said.
“This fellow produced his best for the grand final.”
Permit’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy thought something had gone amiss with the horse mid-race when he slowed noticeably.
A post-race veterinary inspection found nothing wrong and McEvoy said the performance may have been due to him losing a shoe.
“I thought something was seriously amiss but he pulled up OK,” McEvoy said.
“He pulled a shoe off and whether that came back and hit him, I don’t know.
“It’s weird for a horse to pull up so quickly.”
