Racing
Hughes breaks record in Victoria Handicap win
Hughes has broken the Caulfield track record in winning the Victoria Handicap.
A year in racing can be a long time.
At the corresponding Caulfield meeting 12 months ago, Hughes was successful in a benchmark 70 race at 1400m early in his career with new trainer Gavin Bedggood.
Work forward a year to Saturday and Hughes is now a Group 3 winner of the Victoria Handicap (1400m) and the new track 1400m record holder at Caulfield after a masterful Jett Stanley ride.
Settling back in the field, Stanley weaved a passage on Hughes ($19) to score a 1-½ length win from Athanatos ($11) with Meridius ($9.50) a length away third.
Bedggood was as shocked as the racegoers on course after Hughes' victory.
"He won a benchmark 70 on this day last year," Bedggod said.
"But he's a very easy horse to train. We learnt that fresh is best and we just try and space his runs.
"He was four weeks between runs today. He doesn't do a lot of work. He had a gallop on Monday morning and then we've pretty much left him alone.
"It seems to work well for him, but I thought he might be getting to the end of it.
"He got very hot pre-race when I was saddling him up and I was worried about that, but it was a great ride and full credit to the horse."
Bedggood said the instructions to Stanley were simple after John Allen had guided Hughes to victory in the Echuca Cup (1400m) on March 8.
"What I said was ride him 'second half'," Bedggood said.
"He has to be ridden where he's comfortable. We've tried riding him close in lesser grade and it hasn't worked for him.
"John Allen got it right last time and Jett executed it to a tee today.
"He really likes that ducking and weaving sort of ride. He's not a big horse, but he loves getting amongst other horses and it works very well for him."
Bedggood said Hughes would spend the next week at the beach where he would monitor the gelding's recovery.
If the signs are positive, Bedggood said a Listed race over 1600m at Bendigo next month may be the next suitable assignment.
"He'll go and have his week at the beach," Bedggood said.
"Maybe the Golden Mile could be a race as that works within the four-week time frame, but he'll tell us."
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