Hussler bandwagon stalled as Littorio strikes

REPORT: Australia, Saturday
Flemington: Turnbull Stakes (Group 1) 1m2f

THE Weekend Hussler juggernaut came to a crushing halt at Flemington on Saturday when the champion was beaten out of a place for just the third time in his career in the Patinack Turnbull Stakes.

Chasing his fourth successive win this season and his eighth Group 1 victory, the superstar four-year-old failed to produce his customary dash in the $A500,000 (£220,000) event and had to be content with eighth, beaten just under six lengths, by Cups-bound Littorio.

Sent off a shade of odds on against a plethora of Group 1 winners, Weekend Hussler began well from an unfavourable draw on the wide outside in barrier 13 and regular rider Brad Rawiller was able to get him over to one off the fencein midfield.

However, he did not remain there long, and for the final six furlongs, Rawiller asked the champ to race three-wide.

Weekend Hussler was close enough rounding the home turn, but once asked for the supreme effort, he just laboured home one-paced tothe line.

The defeat was met with stunned silence by the Flemington crowd, but trainer Ross McDonald suggested he would press on with plans to step Weekend Hussler up in trip for the Caulfield Cup.

Another casualty of the event was top filly Tuesday Joy, who bled and cannot race for three months.                             

Littorio, a four-year-old trained by Nigel Blackiston, had shown his class over the last 12 months, with a second in the VRC Derby, a third place in the AJC Derby and similar efforts behindWeekend Hussler in both the Makybe Diva and Underwood Stakes.

Sent off 8-1 with Steven King aboard, Littorio trailed Weekend Hussler for the second half of the race and once it was clear it was not to be ‘The Hussler's day, King angled his mount out with under two furlongs to run and set out after the leaders.

Maldivian hadthe lead at this stage but was soon after joined and headed by Pompeii Ruler. But Littorio's finish was irresistible and he went on to win by a length from the fast-finishing Master O'Reilly, with Zipping a head back third.

Blackiston said: "It's unbelievable, hard to explain really. He has been racing super without any luck, but put that right today."

The Turnbull is regarded as a reliable pointer to both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, forwhich the winner will now be a major fancy.

"We've done a lot of work with him to get him to relax," said King. "He's the ideal Cups horse and he gets in with no weight."