Six-year-old Hughie opened the season in dashing style, with a dominant victory against the odds at Hamilton.
Jockey Paul Gatt hunted the gelding from the gates mindful of the leader bias earlier in the day and left nothing to chance when he took the lead, passing the 700 metres in the South West Equine Veterinary Services 0-58 Hcp (1100m).
Despite having ordinary heavy track form and drawing a wide gate with topweight, Hughie led by more than two lengths on the home turn and hugging the rails burst away from the field in the final 200 metres.
A drifter in betting from $7.50 to $10, Hughie finished six lengths ahead of Per Ivy ($8) and Kaniva ($14).
Trainer Jamie Edwards said it was a particularly pleasing win on heavy ground.
“It was a bit of a roll of the dice today,” Jamie said.
“The track was a concern as his previous form on heavy ground was very ordinary and his task wasn’t made easier with an awkward draw with 60kg on his back,” Jamie said.
“He landed where I expected outside the leader and when he got to the lead the race was over.
“He got the luck finding the fast lane on a leader’s track but while the conditions exaggerated things a fair bit, he did a good job.”
Hughie was having only his third run for Emsley Lodge after joining the stable earlier this year with two wins from 14 starts.
His jumpouts had been promising this campaign but Jamie said the son of Starcraft was a hard horse to predict as he was a plain track worker.
“You wouldn’t be rushing to back him on his track work and the key to him might be to race him every 10 days or so.
“It’s a bit of a bonus to see him perform well on a rain-affected ground at this time of the year and I’m keen to see what he can do from here.