Hughes stable out to continue hot form

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Brian and Gareth Hughes have made a roaring start to the new season and they are hoping their golden run continues at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday.

The South Auckland trainers have finished out of the money on just one occasion in their five outings to date this term and they will have strong representation once again at the Waikato meeting this week.

The father-and-son duo will produce The Honey Queen in the meeting’s feature, the Barrett Homes Cambridge Classic (2200m).

The Honey Queen accounted for the stable’s only unplaced run this season, when beating just the one runner home at Cambridge earlier this month, but her trainers have put a line through that disappointing result.

“They burnt hard early and they went a record time,” Gareth Hughes said. “There was nothing we could put our finger on. She was fine afterwards and bright enough the next day. It is just one of those runs that you turn the page and forget about.”

The daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven was in good form prior to that run, winning two of her previous three starts and placing in the Group One Queen Of Hearts (2200m) at Alexandra Park last month.

Hughes believes she is back to her best and is expecting an improved result on Thursday.

“She is bright so fingers-crossed everything is good and we go well,” he said.

“It could be an awkwardly run race with the small field. We will leave it up to Tony (Herlihy, driver), he knows what he is doing.”

Stablemate Hot And Treacherous was also down to start, but has been scratched.

“South Coast Arden is the one to beat, so it will be interesting.”

Later on the card, the stable will have a two-pronged attack in the ITR. Your Horse. Our Passion. Mobile Pace (2200m) with promising three-year-olds Malaka Miss and Ideal Funding.

“Malaka Miss’ last two runs down there have been super,” Hughes said. “She has had to do a fair bit of work in both of them and stuck on.

“With a good draw (2) you would like to think that she is going to get a few more favours than she has in the last couple of starts.”

Hughes is also excited about the prospects of last start winner Ideal Funding, with potential Derby ambitions on the line for the gelding.

“He is a really nice type. He will get better as he gets older and strengthens up a bit, but he has been going awesome in what he is doing at the moment,” he said.

“On what he has done to date you would think he is right in the mix.”