A 10-length win one week and a centimetre perfect victory the next.
An easing favourite from $2.25 to $3.20, Hughie posted his second win in just eight days when he held on to score in a photo finish Monday’s Fletchers Supplies BM56 (1300m) at Wodonga.
The seven-year-old burst from the barriers to lead and held a handy break in the home straight before withstanding a strong challenge from plunge horse More Highs On Me, who was backed from $7.50 to $4.80.
The official margin could not have been closer and contrasted with Hughie’s dominant front running performance at Casterton where he scored a remarkable 10-length victory over 1200 metres.
Monday’s 1300 metres race distance was some query and Hughie’s jockey Teo Nugent admitted he was relieved to see the winning post in the heavy 8 track.
“He’s very dynamic over 1100 and 1200 and he wins his races when he gets a big gap on the field.
“It was a throw at the stumps over 1300 today and you wouldn’t want one centimetre further.” Teo said.
“He was crawling up the straight the last 100 metres, I was just trying to keep him nice and balanced the best I could, and happy to get there.”
Trainer Jamie Edwards was impressed with Hughie’s tenacity.
“It was different to last week because he had to fight for the win today,” Jamie said.
“The second horse looked to have him cold at the top of the straight, but he (Hughie) kept putting his head out.”
Hughie has won six races, four of them since joining the Emsley Lodge stable last year.