Melbourne, here we come.That was the call from a jubilant Brian Smith when the former globetrotting trainer welcomed his cast-off stayer Hume back to scale after he won the Tattersall's Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Smith could not hide his emotions after Hume bounced up off the canvas following his defeat in the Brisbane Cup two weeks ago for a brilliant win in the $200,000 Group Three feature.The man who took Balmerino from New Zealand Derby winner to be runner-up in the Arc de Triomph
Melbourne, here we come.
That was the call from a jubilant Brian Smith when the former globetrotting trainer welcomed his cast-off stayer Hume back to scale after he won the Tattersall's Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Smith could not hide his emotions after Hume bounced up off the canvas following his defeat in the Brisbane Cup two weeks ago for a brilliant win in the $200,000 Group Three feature.
The man who took Balmerino from New Zealand Derby winner to be runner-up in the Arc de Triomphe in France in 1977 wasn't reaching for his passport but he did book a ticket to Victoria.
"I'm not saying he's an Arc horse but he will be in Melbourne in the spring," Smith said.
"He'll be nominated for all the top races and we'll take it one step at a time."
Smith's regular rider Scott Galloway produced a masterly display on Hume ($18) when he held Larry Cassidy on runner-up Bellagio Wynn ($8) in a pocket rounding the corner and outsprinted that horse to score by a length.
New Zealand mare Veloce Bella ($21) found the line gamely to finish three-quarters of a length back in third with Fast Future ($13) fourth.
Victorian visitor Bangerang Quikpic ($7.50) opened up a huge lead mid-race but wilted badly after leading by 10 lengths at the halfway mark while favourite Rainbow Styling ($4) carted the field up and hit the front briefly before fading to finish fifth.
A $400,000 yearling, Hume was formerly raced by leviathan Victorian owner Lloyd Williams until a syndicate of Queensland owners including Brisbane publican Chris Condon purchased the Zabeel gelding for $22,000 this year.
Smith declared the five-year-old a potential big-race winner after he strung together three consecutive wins earlier this preparation.
But the bubble burst went he was beaten at his past four runs including his last-start ninth to Scenic Shot in the Brisbane Cup.
However, Smith had the last laugh today.
"My job was to have him 100 per cent and he was 100 per cent today," Smith said.
"He was getting beaten on wet tracks and the track was a bog on Brisbane Cup day.
"You can keep horses going for 12 months if you know the horse and how he is."