Banknote Hustler is unlikely to ever scale the heights hoped for earlier in his career, but the son of Capitalist gets his shot at completing a winning hat-trick this weekend.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained gelding will be out to back up wins at Geelong and Pakenham in the $65,000 Daish Irrigation & Fodder Handicap at Murray Bridge.
Banknote Hustler went around in the Group 2 Todman Stakes as a two-year-old and while he could manage only eighth position, beaten 4.35 lengths by Tentyris, in that event he beat home Beiwacht and Pallaton.
Sights have been lowered since Banknote Hustler turned three, with his dominant Geelong maiden win last September followed by benchmark 62 success at Pakenham on May 1, and Kent has been pleased with what he has seen from his past two starts.
“He ran very slick time when he won at Geelong, the track was very firm that day and, as a result, he did pull up with a sore knee,” Kent said.
“So, we gave him a fair break, it was his first run in six months on a testing Pakenham track and Olivia Rose, who ran second, goes quite well, so I thought it was a good effort.
“The horse will just keep getting better and better. He’s definitely a progressive city-class type galloper.”
Banknote Hustler is dropping back from 1200m at Pakenham to 1100m this weekend, when he will be ridden by Jason Holder and jump from gate five, but Kent suspects that is offset by the spacious venue.
“We are coming back to 1100, but that won’t worry him because he’s not short of any speed and the Murray Bridge track should suit him.”
Banknote Hustler holds down the third line of betting on Saturday’s race, behind Like A Drifter, who is also chasing a winning hat-trick, and the Phillip Stokes-trained Tobikko.
