Cranbourne conditioner Enver Jusufovic has a lot of time for New York Lustre who will look to register a winning hat-trick for the campaign at Sandown.
Sent for a spell after opening her winning account last July, New York Lustre runs in the John Moule Handicap (1200m) on Saturday looking to add to victories already achieved at Seymour and Flemington this campaign.
Jusufovic had plans of starting the mare at Sandown last Saturday, but New York Lustre was withdrawn, primarily due to a poor draw, but also with the prospect of contesting the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m), also on Saturday’s program.
As a back-up, Jusufovic also threw in a nomination for the John Moule Stakes, and after studying the likely make-up of both races decided on the benchmark 90 race instead of ‘Black Type’.
Jusufovic hopes New York Lustre will eventually rise to Stakes company, but for now he is prepared to give the veteran of just six starts, for three wins, some education against weaker opposition.
“We scratched last week more so because of the gate,” Jusufovic said.
“Talking to the owner I was trying to persuade him into going to the Group 3 and then at the last minute we had a change of mind.
“I didn’t have a problem with that as it (Bellmaine Stakes) looks quite a strong race as sometimes you don’t know how they will come up, so we’re in the benchmark 90 in a small field.
“There seems to be upside with her. She just needed time, and we were prepared to give it to her, and she suits my stable.
“She’s a homebred, they don’t have that yearling prep, and some take longer than others to get into the system, and she was one of them.”
Jusufovic expects Saturday’s 1200m journey to suit New York Lustre better than the 1000m she has been winning over this campaign.
“Her two runs this time in, she’s won quite softly,” Jusufovic said.
“I don’t think she’s a 1000-metres horse. I think she’s better over 1200 metres, and we’ll get a better guide about her on Saturday.”
