She’s A Hustler emphatically passed her first test at 2400 metres at Caulfield on Saturday, performing the perfect audition for an even bigger race over the same course and trip next spring.
The Grahame Begg-trained mare landed the first Group 2 win of her already-impressive career when she wore down dual Group 1 winner Light Infantry Man in the $750,000 weight-for-age Zipping Classic.
She’s A Hustler maintained her impeccable quinella record and stamped herself a Caulfield Cup hope with Begg suggesting she would be put away and set for an autumn/winter campaign directed towards Queensland, the breeding ground for recent Caulfield Cup winners Incentivise and Half Yours.
“You have to have those ambitions,” Begg said when asked if he considered her a Caulfield Cup prospect.
“She’s a beauty, a winning machine, she’s never finished further back than second in 11 starts (with) seven wins.
We may go to Brisbane for one or two runs up there, something like the Q22 and then back down here. The Q22 is a great race and it sets them up for the spring.”
She’s A Hustler’s Zipping Classic win followed a second placing in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) on Champions Day, which came after a maiden Stakes win in the Group 3 Tesio Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.
Her path to victory on Saturday was not straightforward, forced to overcome a check on the home turn, which enabled Australian Cup winner Light Infantry Man to steal a break on her early in the straight.
But the $3.10 favourite wore down the $4.80 chance late, scoring a short-neck win, with Etna Rosso ($10) 2-1/4 lengths back third.
Jordan Childs, who has ridden the Kiwi recruit at each of her 10 starts in Australia, said the victory was just another step in her progression.
“The way she’s going about it, she’s still got improvement there,” Childs said of the daughter of Ace High.
“She doesn’t know how to fully put races away, but I think she’ll keep improving.
To tick that off over 2400 metres today, it will hold her in good stead for next prep.”
The Zipping Classic win was the second leg of a Stakes double for Begg and Childs, who two races earlier combined to win the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) with Super Seth filly Ruska Roma.
