THREE-YEAR-OLD Hurdy Gurdy Man looks set for an interstate campaign after an impressive win in the Murcotts Hcp (1600 metres) at Betfair Park yesterday, reports The Age.It says: The race had plenty of depth with seven of the 10-horse field being last-start winners but after settling at the rear and looking only a place chance halfway up the straight, Hurdy Gurdy Man ($13) ran home his last 200 metres in 11.80 seconds to reel in the $4.20 favourite Population.''He's a nice horse who just keeps on

THREE-YEAR-OLD Hurdy Gurdy Man looks set for an interstate campaign after an impressive win in the Murcotts Hcp (1600 metres) at Betfair Park yesterday, reports The Age.

It says: The race had plenty of depth with seven of the 10-horse field being last-start winners but after settling at the rear and looking only a place chance halfway up the straight, Hurdy Gurdy Man ($13) ran home his last 200 metres in 11.80 seconds to reel in the $4.20 favourite Population.

''He's a nice horse who just keeps on improving. He's taken a bit of time and used to do a few things wrong early days but now we've taught him to settle he's finding the line very well,'' said trainer Darren Weir.


The Ballarat horseman is keen to send Hurdy Gurdy Man to Tasmania for at least one run in the listed Tasmanian Guineas (1600), run under lights at Mowbray on January 6.

''There's not a lot on here at the moment and it's [the Guineas] a $90,000 race with a Super Vobis bonus, so it looks the next logical option,'' Weir said.

Depending on how Hurdy Gurdy Man performs in that race, Weir has the option of aiming towards the group 3 Tasmanian Derby (2200) at Elwick on February 5.

The win also continued the successful comeback of Jamie Mott. The tall hoop resumed riding in early August after a six-month suspension and yesterday's win was his 45th for the season, placing him fourth on the Victorian jockeys table. His win on Hurdy Gurdy Man was just his second in Melbourne after having broken through on At The Heads on Flemington last Saturday.

''It was getting a bit frustrating and I had had a few chances but things hadn't gone right so it was good to get it out of the way,'' Mott said.

Mott has ridden Hurdy Gurdy Man at all his starts and shares Weir's belief that the best is ahead of the lightly-raced colt.