EGLINTON’S Nathan Hurst may not have stables the size of some of his fellow NSW trainers and his current team does not include any real superstars, but that has not stopped him from finding a good measure of success so far this season.
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Hurst began the week sitting seventh in the Harness Racing NSW drivers’ premiership and sixth in the trainers’ premiership, having steered 58 of his stable’s 68 winners so far this season.
The most recent of those wins came at Young on Sunday and with a $23.30 chance no-one had really expected to feature.
Not only did Kyalla Luke take out a 1,720 metre heat of the Menangle Country Series, but he led from start to finish and won in a track record 1:56.8 mile rate.
Hurst may have felt the price being offered for his six-year-old Life Sign x Kyalla Mary gelding was a little unfair – while he had not won since February 9, he had run five placings in his eight starts since.
But it was Murray Sullivan’s Dont Call Me Crazy, a recent Menangle winner, who held $2.50 favouritism. In the end, that colt never featured.
Kyalla Luke showed enough speed from barrier two to be able to cross for the lead, holding out both Uncle Benjamin and Winning Return after they had shown zip from the gates as well.
Winning Return, with David Kennedy in the gig, did move up to sit outside Hurst’s leader, but it did not trouble him.
Kyalla Luke zipped through the first quarter of the mile in 28.3 seconds, Hurst then backing things off as he came around for the bell.
The rest of the field were also waiting for the speed to come again and it did down the back straight, the third sectional being covered in 28.8 seconds.
That had Kyalla Luke a length clear of the chasing pack, but as he entered the final bend, Bernie Hewitt had begun his charge with Toolijooa Dawn.
That pair pulled clear and battled hard all the way to the line, Toolijooa Dawn ($4.20) making up good ground but falling a head short of victory.
Winning Return ($7.50) was some seven metres back in third, getting left behind as Hurst’s gelding clocked another sub 30-seconds split in the run home.
Kyalla Luke’s new mark bettered the old record of 1:57.1 set by the Neil Day-driven Regal Ducati on February 27.
While narrowly missing out in that race driving for his brother David Hewitt, Georges Plains trainer-driver Bernie Hewitt did join Hurst on the list of winners when Im Jay Tee won the 2,100m Three Year Old Pace as the $1.80 favourite.
The other Bathurst district success came when The Lagoon’s Emma Turnbull drove Bunda-burra ($3.40) to victory for Peter Keogh in the Encouragement Stakes (1,720m).
