Mornington-based horseman Cliff Brown is known for his patience, and he has needed plenty of it with Von Hauke.
Brown had considerable success around Australia before moving to Singapore where he spent the best part of 15 years plying his trade.
Since his return, Brown has had a steady stream of winners and collected a Group 1 prize with Sepals in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield last spring.
Von Hauke has an abundance of ability right from when the gelding made his debut as a three-year-old in a rich maiden at Pakenham, leading him to the Future Stars series.
Von Hauke has rarely been too far from the money but was his own worst enemy, and it is only now, as a six-year-old, that Brown says the gelding as started to ‘grow up’.
The Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on Saturday will see Von Hauke looking to get another win on the board and potentially book a ticket north to Queensland for the winter.
It will be the second time Von Hauke has run in the Golden Mile, finishing fourth last year.
“He didn’t have a lot of luck last year, but he’s that sort of horse,” Brown said.
“When you get back, luck has to go your way.
“He got galloped on last year and then he had to go for a break, otherwise he would have gone to Brisbane.”
Von Hauke won the Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley last spring and was put away for a break after contesting the Champions Mile on the final day of Melbourne Cup week.
He resumed with a fifth-place finish in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on April 4.
“I thought his first-up run was excellent, but he peaked in the last bit,” Brown said.
“At least now, he’s grown up and we can run him over a little bit further, as in the past you couldn’t as he would want to go too hard, so he’s better in that aspect.
“He trialled up well after his first-up run but I still think there’s improvement to come.
“He is only second up and I think the weight, which he was always going to get, is a negative and there are some lovely horses in this, but depending on how he goes, he might head to Queensland.
“He’s not far off them (the better ones), so it will be interesting to see to where he gets to.”
