THE frown on Swan Hill trainer Nathan Hobson’s face got increasingly sterner as the day went on at Warracknabeal races on Saturday.
His horse Miss Mouse finished second in the fourth of the day (with fellow local Helen Burns picking up second in the same race with The Last Judgement).
In the sixth, his starter King and King could only manage third – and the frustration and the frown went on.
Until the very next race, the $27,000 Shannon’s Haulage Handicap over 1025m, when he legged Jack Hill onto the ironically named Frowned.
The five-year-old gelding, with just two wins on bush tracks (Balranald and Wycheproof) from 25 starts, was about to put a very big smile on his trainer’s face.
Tucked into a good cover along the rail as the field surged around the bend and into the straight, pacemaker and race favourite Tarzi tried to steal a winning break and shot more than two lengths clear.
Which sparked the chasers into action, with San Marino, Frowned and Austy Coffey’s Olivia’s Scandal all looking likely contenders.
But it was Frowned which found the extra leg and with Hill riding hands and heels he quickly reeled in the leader. When they drew level, Tarzi’s rider had already pulled the whip, but to no avail.
And if the win made Hobson happy, it certainly put a lot of frowns on faces around the track because his horse paid a whopping $13.90 with the favourite half a length adrift.
“His recent form told me he was heading for a good win soon and once they straightened I was pretty confident Jack would be able to run the favourite down,” Hobson said.
“He is always strong late, with a good finishing burst once he gets going, and that’s what he showed here today.
“His last start third at Mildura was good, even his seventh in Swan Hill before that against a much stronger field saw him barely two lengths from the winner.”
Hobson acquired Frowned as a tried horse for just $3000 and now he has given him three wins and has almost $65,000 in prizemoney.
And the trainer is not planning to stop there.
Winning after a one-week break at Warracknabeal, Hobson said he might be back in a fortnight for another run over the same distance.
And why not, when you also manage to get a few dollars on him for a payout like that – you could have got him at $21 on fixed odds.
Hobson was also at Bendigo on Sunday with a couple of runners; but came up empty.
And he will be at Sandown this Wednesday, depending on the weather, with veteran sprinter Yulong Storm, followed by Mildura the following Monday with a few more starters.
