Written by Paul Vettise
Looks can be deceptive, but in the case of the flashy chestnut Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) they tell a precise story.
She is striking to the eye and she raced right up to her looks, and then some, with a stunning debut victory in the BuildSafe Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Brooklyn Hustle looked to have bombed her chances at the start when she was slow to break and tailed the field, but when rider Beau Mertens found clear air she exploded into action.
“The best word to describe that is wow.” – Beau Mertens.
“The best word to describe that is wow,” he said. “She missed the kick being a green horse and I was able to work through the field and she let her rip with a good run.”
Brooklyn Hustler was near last on the turn and she was angled three off the fence to produce an electric finish to win by two lengths going away from Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) and the tiring front-runner Oh So Rewarding (Reward For Effort).
Mertens was taken aback by the slow getaway as the 2-year-old had been in a settled mood prior to barrier rise.
“It’s good to win one for Rosemont Stud, they have been good supporters of mine.” - Beau Mertens.
“She was very professional and relaxed in the gates, but unfortunately she missed the start,” Mertens said. “It’s good to win one for Rosemont Stud, they have been good supporters of mine.”
Brooklyn Hustle is trained for Anthony Mithen’s operation by Mornington horseman Jason Warren, who had more than an inkling of the youngster’s ability.
Jockey, Beau Mertens returning to scale with Brooklyn Hustle
“I said to Beau that’s she good, I just didn’t know how good,” he said. “She’s always showed well above average ability and I came here confident.
“I didn’t have her fully wound up and her trial at Cranbourne on Monday was pretty soft.”
Eyeing Blue Diamond
Brooklyn Hustle will now be rewarded with a quiet fortnight and Warren will then plan a path toward a Group 1 feature.
“There’s a lot of upside to her and the short-term plan will be the Blue Diamond,” he said.
“She’ll go back to Rosemont on Monday to freshen-up and she’ll be back with me in a couple of weeks.”
Pedigree notes
Brooklyn Hustler is a daughter of Joint Aspiration (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who won a Listed race in her homeland and was a Group 3 placegetter.
She is out of a half-sister to the Listed Doncaster S. winner Two Clubs (GB) (First Trump {GB}), the dam of the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and dual Group 2 winner Red Clubs (IRE) Red Ransom {USA}).
In New Zealand 2-year-old action, Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) all but won her way into next January’s Karaka Million with the thick end of the stake in the Withers & Co. Chartered Accountants at Ellerslie.
Trained by Jamie Richards, she waltzed with the winner’s cheque of NZ$12,500 which historically has been enough for a berth in the country’s richest juvenile prize.
“She really kicked away like we thought she would.” – Teina Walters.
“She’s going to take improvement and hopefully she’ll come back here,” stable representative Teina Walters said. “She really kicked away like we thought she would.”
Probabeel settled off the pace, but once rider Opie Bosson asked her for a serious effort on straightening she responded and coasted clear to win untested.
The filly was purchased out of Waikato Stud’s Karaka draft earlier this year for $380,000 by Te Akau principal David Ellis to syndicate before Cambridge Stud’s Brendan and Jo Lindsay stepped in for 100 per cent.
She is out of the Group performer Far Fetched (Pins) and is from the family of the G1 Livamol Classic and the G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Savvy Coup (Savabeel).
Probabeel as a yearling
