Sellick sizzles in easy win
BRIGHTON-BASED trainer Steve Lockhart knows a decent horse when he sees one and as soon as Sellick rocked into his stables earlier this year he thought he was on a winner.
In Launceston last Friday night the gelded son of former Cox Plate winner Shamus Award made his rivals look ordinary when he swept to the lead in the home straight and powered his way to an almost four-length win in a maiden over 1100m.
It should end up being a good form race, with many of the runners to finish behind Sellick likely to be winning in the not too distant future.
Lockhart and the gelding’s owners only had to fork out $1100 for the four-year-old, which was a bargain given his sire is standing for a fee of $11,000 at Rosemont Stud this season.
“I liked this horse from the minute he walked into the stables and given his breeding he could end up being a feature race winner here in Tassie,” Lockhart said.
“We had him set to win on debut after winning both of his trials at Longford — but it wasn’t to be.
“But on Friday night everything went to plan and he did look impressive the way he finished the race off to win by almost four lengths.”
Lockhart delivered Sellick to Richmond Stables yesterday for a two-week spell on the spring grass.
“He is in the paddock and we’ll bring him back to the stables in a fortnight to prepare for a summer campaign,” Lockhart said.
Lockhart’s Tasmanian Oaks winner from last season Shady Hustle will return to racing in Tasmania in a benchmark 74 handicap over 1400m in Launceston on Wednesday night.
Shady Hustle took out the Thousand Guineas-Oaks double last season after which she was sent to Victorian trainer Doug Harrison for a seven-week campaign that unfortunately didn’t pan out because of the extremely wet tracks.
TRAINER Adam Trinder has confirmed his stable star Mystic Journey had come through her Cox Plate effort unscathed and she will be back in her stable this morning.
Mystic Journey was a courageous fifth in Saturday’s Cox Plate, won by Lys Gracieux.
While it would be tempting to keep her in work and possibly head back to Melbourne to run in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes over 1600m on November 9, connections seem sure that the mare will be sent for a spell.