Gus and The Janitor now both likely to be NZ bound

By Adam Hamiton 

Queensland trotting star Gus looks set to have an exciting travelling companion when he returns to New Zealand next year.

Stablemate The Janitor showed he had arrived in the big league with a fantastic and close-up third to Grand Circuit big guns Don Hugo and Leap To Fame in last night’s $250,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

It followed a massive second to Hi Manameisjeff after sitting outside the leader and winner a week earlier.

It’s no secret husband and wife Pete McMullen and Chantal Turpin have a huge opinion of the Janitor and everyone is now seeing why.

Going into the Blacks A Fake, McMullen said it “would be ideal” if The Janitor made the trip across the ditch for the huge Cambridge Night of Champions in April.

“We’re planning to with Gus and it would be great to take The Janitor for the pacing race, too,” he said.

Those past two runs have unequivocally proven The Janitor is in the top handful of pacers in Australasia.

What’s not as clear is what’s next for The Janitor with the option of the Hunter Cup in February or waiting for the Miracle Mile in March.

McMullen said Gus was enjoying a break after his NZ Cup Group 1 heroics and would not head to Melbourne in January/February.

“We will likely go to the big (trotting) race on the Miracle Mile and then to Cambridge,” McMullen said.

The most awaited clash is now between Gus and Keayang Zahara, who won her 10th Group 1 race from just 21 starts in last night’s $150,000 Great Square at Albion Park. She’s won 20 of her 21 starts.

Keayang Zahara will return home to prepare for the $100,000 Group 1 Maori Mile at Bendigo on January 10.

It’s the first of six races in the new Victoria Summer of Glory carnival with a $500,000 bonus attached.

Driven patiently back in the field, Keayang Zahara gave leader Sunset Hill a big start at the 600m, but smashed the clock to easily reel-in the former Kiwi gelding and win without being extended by 2.2m.

Keayang Zahara’s last 800m was an almost unbelievable 54.6sec.

Back to the Blacks A Fake and it was another triumph for Luke McCarthy against Blacks A Fake.

McCarthy has beaten the Queensland champion four times this year, twice with Don Hugo and twice with Kingman.

A brilliant tactical drive saw Don Hugo led, sit behind leader The Janitor and used the sprint lane to snatch a nose win over a mighty gallant Leap To Fame with the Janitor a close-up third.

The 1min52.8sec mile rate equalled the 2680m track record.

“I hoped The Janitor would be first to get to me and knew if I sat on him, I’d get the last shot at them,” McCarthy said. “It took the whole straight to get there, but I thought I did it right on the line. The other two horses went great as well.”

Don Hugo’s owner Tony Licastro can’t believe the ride the five-year-old has given him in the past 16 months.

“From winning the TAB Eureka to the (Sydney) Inter Dominion, a Miracle Mile and now a Blacks A Fake. I’ve waited 25 years in the game for a horse like this,” he said.

While Kingman will chase a $1 million bonus for the Victorian “Cups series” in January and February, Don Hugo is set for a quieter time.

“I’ll let the dust settle and chat with Tony, but defending his Miracle Mile crown is the main priority now,” McCarthy said.

It was Leap To Fame’s fourth defeat in his past six starts, but statistically one of the best runs of his career given he covered 34m extra ground and the time they ran.