HORSE RACING
ONE-TIME Blue Diamond Stakes favourite, Brooklyn Hustle, is primed for her racetrack return after taking out a trial at Cranbourne on Monday 5 August.
The Jason Warren-trained filly jumped out smartly with the addition of a barrier blanket before kicking clear under jockey Ben Melham to comfortably win the eighth heat of the morning.
The striking daughter of Starspangledbanner is set to kick off her three-year-old campaign in the Group Three Quezette Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday 17 August.
Brooklyn Hustle is expected to meet a strong field with the likes of the Anthony Freedman-trained and Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Lyre, potentially lining up as well as the Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up, Lankan Star.
Mornington-based racehorse trainer Jason Warren believes the filly is ready to go for her first-up assignment.
“She’s right on track,” Warren said.
“I’m very happy with her. She will kick off in the Quezette and we’ll probably add the barrier blanket to her gear just to help her leave the gates a bit better. It worked well [in the trial].
“Ben (Melham) was pretty happy when he gave her a test, that everything we know is under the hood is still there.”
Brooklyn Hustle made an explosive impression on debut at Moonee Valley last year before finishing fifth in both the Group Two Blue Diamond Prelude and Group One Blue Diamond Stakes.
Warren is hoping the talented filly can continue to make improvement into her three-year-old season with the Group One Thousand Guineas a potential target in the spring.
“She will be nominated,” he said of the mile feature at Caulfield.
“We’ll just see where we go after the Quezette. We won’t rule out a trip to Sydney for the Golden Rose. We’ll just see.”
