CRAIG Lusby might have gone over budget at the 2019 Brisbane Australian Pacing Gold Sale to purchase a Hes Watching x Our Sweet Melody colt, but on Saturday night at Albion Park his decision certainly paid off.
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The colt - who has since been gelded and named Hes Sweet - that Lusby exceeded his budget by $20,000 to purchase, won the Group 1 Brisbane Australian Pacing Gold Sales Graduate 2YO Final.
It was a win which came with a $45,000 winners' purse.
The success came as a big thrill to Lusby and Bathurst owners Ken Plunkett and John Boserio. For Boserio there was another reason to enjoy the victory as well - he is the man who trains Hes Sweet.
"It was unbelievable. It hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's been pretty good so far," he said. "We owned one before that's won a Group 1 that Steve and Jenny Turnbull trained for us, Four Trumps, but this the first one I've trained, so it's bloody good."
It was the breeding which made lot 26 at the Brisbane APG Sale last January one Boserio had his eye on, but he did give Lusby some instructions before he bid.
"We came up here 18 months ago for the gold sale. I looked in the catalogue and there was a horse in there with the same breeding as one that I used to train years ago and it was pretty good horse - it died on me matter of fact," the trainer said.
"I said to Craig we'll go and have a look at that horse, but whatever you do, don't go higher than 15 [thousand]. But he went to 35."
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Hes Sweet made his debut on February 26 and three months later at Bathurst he posted his maiden win.
He then headed to Queensland, running a pair of seconds, two thirds and a fourth prior to Saturday's 1660 metres Group 1 decider.
That record, and a barrier nine draw, saw him start as an $11 chance. But driver Dean Cernovskis had confidence in the outsider.
He settled three back on the pegs as Our Ultimate Bonny set the pace in front and when Lillies found a run down the inside into the final bend, Cernovskis followed.
He Sweet quickly came out of the trail as they hit the apex and soon after balancing at the top of the home straight, the Bathurst gelding had the lead. He held on to beat Grant Dixon's $1.95 favourite Jasper by a neck in a 1:54.7 mile rate.
"We haven't had much luck since we've been up here, we hadn't won a race for three months, so we picked a good one to win," Boserio said.
"Dean, he was pretty confident. He said if we get the fence, three back the fence, I think we'll go pretty good. I said to him 'Well you're driving him, if that's what you think go there.'
"He did that and it all sort of worked to plan when the leader ran off, that doesn't happen too often. We got a run through and it worked out perfect, it was a bit of a thrill.
"I was probably 150 yards from the post and when he went past us I thought that Grant's horse had got it, I didn't know if he'd won or not. But then I saw Dean's arm up in the air and thought it was a good sign."
