Captain Sampson takes out opening Sires' Stakes heat

By Michael Guerin

Captain Sampson has won a ticket to IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 12 but that doesn’t mean trainer Brian Hughes will be making a rare return to the big time.

While the exciting juvenile pacer will likely head to the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Final he qualified for at Alexandra Park on Friday night, Hughes says he isn’t the main man at his stable any more.

“I still go down and drive trackwork every day, like I always have, but the stable is mainly for Gareth (son) now,” says Hughes, one of New Zealand’s most astute horsemen.

“We only have seven in work but with a few more to come back in but Gareth is doing a good job so we would actually take more, more for him than anything else.

“I am still enjoying it but don’t go to the races that much any more, although I went tonight.”

So would Hughes, a man who has had numerous big-race runners at the Cup meeting, jump on the plane to go see Captain Sampson?

“No, that would be Gareth’s trip and I’ll stay here and look after the rest of the team,” he laughs.

Captain Sampson is only just starting his career but the way he sprinted up the passing lane in the Woodlands Stud Sires' Stakes 2YO Colts and Geldings Heat for Tony Cameron to win in a 1:55.3 mile rate for the 1700m, last 800m in 55.7 seconds suggests he is a smart horse in the making.

He is bred to be good, being by Captaintreacherous out of eight-win mare Millie Sampson, who butted heads with the mighty Adore Me in mares races at The Park a decade ago.

“Jack and Jo Davies, who owned Mille Sampson, bred this horse and I have had horses for them for years,” says Hughes.

“They are good people and it is nice to see them get another good horse.”

The race was not short of action as Lincoln Lou blazed across the field early before holding on to run second while hot favourite Bar Louie went rough early when three wide and ended up back to last, which was the end of his chances when the last 800m was so sharp.

The night’s two other main races were taken out by the Purdon/Phelan stable with Always B Elite in the $35,000 Lather Up World Champion Northern Metro Final while Won And Only led throughout in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires’ Stakes Fillies heat after a bold drive from Crystal Hackett.

Won And Only led home an unusual ownership quinella as both she and runner-up Hot And Dangerous are raced by the Breckon Farms Lucky Eight Syndicate even though they are trained by different stables.

Hot And Dangerous is one of those seven horses mentioned earlier in work for Brian and Gareth Hughes so while they are small on numbers they have two serious juveniles to go on with.

Always B Elite’s win in the Metro Final came after he was able to secure the one-one and then slingshot leader Hawkeye Pierce and the winner’s stablemate Jeremiah in a race dominated by the three-year-olds.

The winner is owned by the Clear View Racing No.5 Syndicate, who have had such a long and successful association with the Purdon/Phelan stable.