HOOP EXPECTS HACKSAW TO CUT SWATH
JOCKEY Ryan Plumb believes maiden winner Hacksaw Ridge is destined to go to town after showing her potential at the Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast hoop guided the Les Kelly-trained three-year-old to a first-up win in the Colts, Geldings and Entires Maiden Handicap (1200m) on Saturday after leading from start to finish.
“It was a good win. He is a really nice horse on the way up,” Plumb said.
“He is bred to stay and his work had been good the whole way through so Les Kelly was pretty confident going into the race and he won pretty easily (by two lengths).”
Plumb planned to settle in just behind the leader but was guided by how Hacksaw Ridge started.
“He began so quickly,” Plumb said. “The plan was to be second or third because we thought he had a lot of speed on paper but he jumped well and led them up easily.”
“He did it easily down the straight. He had a really good turn of foot.
“If anything he is a horse that is going to run 2000m so he has done a really good job to sprint home like that.
“He is a strong horse and will keep getting better the further he gets.”
Hacksaw Ridge, a son of Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom, is a halfbrother to Mentality who won three Group 1 races over 1600m in Sydney between 2006 and 2008.
Plumb said the gelding had the potential to race well in Brisbane this preparation.
“I’d say once he gets to a mile (1600m) – without knowing exactly what Les has mapped out for him – he will probably head to the city Saturday races.”
Plumb has been involved in Hacksaw Ridge’s improvement throughout his first preparation that included a seventh and then second at the Gold Coast in June.
“His second run was excellent off a slow tempo,” Plumb said. “He was a little slow at the barriers and they went really slow and he rocketed home to just get beat.
“Les decided to put him in the paddock and let him mature a bit more.
“He came back and I jumped him out about a month before the race and he really impressed Les and everyone involved.”