NATHAN Hurst will have his first starter in a $20,000 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final (1980 meters) today after the Eglinton trainer-driver marked his first day out at Tamworth Paceway with a Golden Guitar heat double.
Hurst won the fourth and fifth heats yesterday with Getaloadathis and Make Some Magic. He thought he was “running for second and third” in yesterday’s Pryde’s EasiFeed Four Old Timer Golden Guitar Heat 4 (1980m) with Getaloadathis when Rod Pike and Railemup kicked around the last turn. But no sooner did Railemup look the winner than Getaloadathis emerged again to mow him down and post a 2.5m win.
“Yeah I thought we were running for second and third,” Hurst said.
“But he’s a tough horse and he knuckled down, went good.”
Hurst was a little worried he was going to miss out on a Golden Guitar Final altogether before Getaloadathis surged home for the 31-year-old trainer-driver.
Hurst, born and bred in Eglinton, is in the top 10 trainers in NSW and would like nothing better than to return home with a Golden Guitar.
He reckons “the place where I’m staying” might have a bit to do with his double on Monday. He’s staying with the Grima boys, Michael and Paul, at their Tamworth complex.
“It’s fabulous out there,” Hurst said.
Hurst then made it a double when Make Some Magic won the fifth heat.
Make Some Magic had an easy first half, Hurst said but then “had to do some work”.
She’s a real little trier, he said.
“She can do it tough and still have something.”
Which will he drive in the final?
“Probably her,” he said.
“She’s a bit hard to drive.”
In the decider Hurst will drive Make Some Magic while Angela Hedges steers Getaloadathis.
The last time he and his number worker and fellow driver had stablemates in a final proved good for the Eglinton stable but bad for Hurst himself.
“The last big final we were in together she [Hedges] beat me,” he recalled.
Not only has the Eglinton trainer/driver two runners in the $20,000 Golden Guitar Final (1980m) – Getaloadathis and Make Some Magic – but also starts Em Ef Cee in tonight’s $10,000 Tamworth City Cup (2360m).
Em Ef Cee is a Kiwi pacer, by Courage Under Fire and had just three starts in Australia for two wins and a third.
“The Valentines bought him in New Zealand and brought him across,” Hurst said of the Wollongong owners.
“They hoped he’d do a good job when he got across here. He’s done a great job.”
Em Ef Cee won his two previous starts in NZ before wins at Bathurst and Parkes preceded his eighth in last week’s Pub Group Gold Nugget.
“He broke just as they were mustering speed behind the mobile and gave them a big start but still went well.
“I’ve made a few changes, hopefully he’ll go all right.”
The six-year-old is chasing an eighth career win when he goes from barrier five at about 9.40pm.
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