Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have continued to turn training convention on its head with Hitotsu claiming the Australian Guineas first-up.
During the spring Maher and Eustace had no hestitation jumping Hitotsu from the 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas to claim the Group 1 Victoria Derby over 2500m.
Many thought that unconventional while no horse had returned from a spring campaign to claim the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) first-up, but Hitotsu rewrote history with his success on Saturday.
Ridden by John Allen, Hitotsu ($8) scored by a long-neck from Lightsaber ($19) with Bon’s A Pearler ($41) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Eustace said it was an emotional victory with his parents flying in from the UK during the week while Maher was in Sydney at Randwick.
“It’s great to have mum and dad here but I’m gutted that the boss isn’t here,” Eustace said.
“He’s up in Sydney and we don’t get to share many big wins.”
Eustace said the stable was confident Hitotsu had come back from his spring campaign in the right order to claim a Group 1 win first-up.
But he admitted to being a little worried whether the three-year-old had the acceleration required to win over 1600m.
“He needed every inch of the mile,” Eustace said.
“He’s in the All-Star Mile and that would have to be a possibility and we know he gets further.
“We’ll worry about where we go next tomorrow.”
Allen said Hitotsu keeps making progression, rising from a maiden win at his first start for Maher and Eustace to now being a dual Group 1 winner.
He said the stable had Hitotsu well prepared for Saturday’s race but thought the colt was not at home on the soft track.
“I thought he laboured a little bit on the ground,” Allen said.
“I reckon he is better definitely on top of the ground, but his toughness got him there and he was always going to outstay them at the finish.
“He can improve and be a really good horse hopefully and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him.”
