The well-related Fabian Hawk has made impressive progress this preparation and has another opportunity to further his record on his home track on Saturday.
Prepared by his Awapuni part-owner Peter Didham, the son of Turn Me Loose will be bidding for the fourth victory of his campaign and third course and distance victory on the bounce.
While Fabian Hawk is fashioning an encouraging record, he continues to be a work in progress and yet to reach full maturity.
“He’s racing well, he’s a really nice horse but he’s not the finished product yet and is still six months away,” Didham said.
“He’s 16.2h tall and lean so we space his races out and he races three or four weeks apart and give him and easy time between runs and then build him up again.
“He galloped really well last Tuesday with Durham Lad, a sprinter who won last Saturday, so I’m very happy with him.”
Fabian Hawk is out of the stakes-winning Shinko King mare Shi Kin Fly, who was successful up to 2400m, and is a half-brother to the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Lincoln King.
“I know he’s four and rising five, but he’s a slow maturer and Lincoln King was very similar and in six months with a bit more weight on him he’ll be fine,” Didham said.
Fabian Hawk has made all the running to post his last two victories in the hands of Johnathan Parkes, who retains the ride and he may have to employ different tactics on Saturday.
“He probably won’t get his own way on Saturday as there’s three other front-runners that I can see so it might be time to take a trail,” Didham said.
“It will be good not to be a one trick pony and I’ll leave it up to Johnathan, you don’t give good riders too many instructions.”
Didham also been encouraged by the progress of his Ardrossan juvenile Ardee Boy, who will make his first appearance off the back of a trial win at Foxton last month.
“He is a lovely, good-looking horse who has got some serious ability,” he said.
“I would probably have loved to give him one more trial, but it’s $30,000 on our back doorstep and only seven runners.
“I could have gone to the trials next week and run against eight horses. I expect him to go well and he will improve out of sight with the run.”
Stablemate Ruffhouse Rosie will step out after an unplaced run on a testing Woodville track.
“I know she is by El Roca, but I’m starting to worry whether she likes it really heavy,” Didham said.
“Her win and a good placing here were on puggy and slow tracks, but her work has been good. She’s no superstar but does try hard.”
The stable will also run both Eshay and Gum Basher.
“Again, it’s $30,000 and we could have run Eshay in a maiden next week, but I think she’ll run home strongly and I wouldn’t leave her out of trifectas,” Didham said.
“Gum Basher has raced well on the poly track and we’re trying her on the grass and we can always go back to the poly later on.”
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