Unlike his champion half-brother Tie The Knot, Hood shows signs of shaping as a quality sprinter as evidenced by his strong win over 1200 metres at Randwick on Saturday.
Tie The Knot won two gruelling Sydney Cups during his illustrious career and early thoughts were his younger sibling would also be effective at longer distances.
But trainer Guy Walter and co-owner Sandy Tait have revised that opinion and the four-year-old could have earned a trip to the Brisbane winter carnival with his win in the TAB Sportsbet iPhone on a heavy (9) track.
Apprentice Taylor Lovelock-Wiggins took Hood ($5 fav) to the front shortly after the start and he stretched his lead in the straight to beat Miss Independent ($7.50) by three lengths with Regal Banter ($12) another 1-1/4 lengths away third.
“We didn’t plan to ride him that way but full marks to the jockey who summed up the situation,” Walter said.
“The key to this horse is being kept fresh and we may now look at the Brisbane carnival.”
Lovelock-Wiggins said he let the horse do what made him comfortable.
“The instructions were to find a bum and steer him into it,” he said.
“But the horse summed it up when he left the gates like he did and I knew he would get through the wet.”
The youngster had little time to celebrate a win on Doncaster day and left shortly after to drive to Kembla Grange to ride at that meeting.
Tait bred Hood who is by Shamardal out of the family’s grand mare Whisked who died in September 2009 while giving birth to a Strategic filly who was saved.
“It is a big thrill to see him win,” Tait said.
“Guy has figured out the key to him which is keeping him fresh.
“I think the Shamardals are more sprinter-milers and there may be something for him in Brisbane.”
Hood’s previous three wins had all come when he had resumed from a spell and Saturday’s victory came after he was given a month off following a win on the Kensington track last month.
AAP TURF
