By Adam Hamilton
HERE comes Hector.
At a time the sport is crying our for big names to replace the likes of Lazarus, Lennytheshark, Bling It On, Heaven Rocks and others, Hectorjayjay’s comeback is huge.
And it’s happening very soon.
New trainer-driver Gavin Lang has pin-pointed the $20,000 Popular Alm Sprint at Kilmore on June 30 as the comeback race.
It will be Hectorjayjay’s first start since going amiss in a suspensory ligament after his breathtaking Group 1 Blacks A Fake win at Albion Park in July, last year.
Lang confirmed the return race after Hectorjayjay turned plenty of heads with second trial win in as many weeks.
It was Melton yesterday where Hectorjayjay came from last to win and privately clocked with a 54.7sec last half.
He beat classy rivals like Major Secret, Philadelphia Man, Three Ways and Tee Cee Bee Macray with a devastating blast of speed around the field.
“Really, he went 54.7sec? I didn’t feel that quick. He did it so easily. He felt terrific,” Lang said.
More importantly, he came through the trial in great fashion.
“He was in the top paddock running around having fun with the kangaroos later that night,” Lang said.
“He’s ready to race now. Kilmore looks suitable. It’s a sprint race and the timing is right.
Around the same the time the Group 1 Len Smith Mile is run at Menangle, which means the likes of Soho Tribeca will be there instead of Victoria.
“I know this horse has won a Len Smith before, but they go 1min48sec miles or quicker up there and he doesn’t need that first-up from a year out,” he said.
“I’d like to get a couple of runs under his belt and hope he comes through them well before I look at anything bigger.”
The dream of a Blacks A Fake defence at Albion Park on July 21 is alive, but Lang is coy.
“A horse with his history, especially a suspensory issue, needs to be taking one race at a time. I’m just thinking about getting him to Kilmore and getting through that well,” he said.
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