Panther Star puts in some rough strides, but Doug Hewitt still gets the job done

As captain-coach of the Bathurst Panthers Group 10 Rugby League outfit, Hewitt has helped to guide a talented group of players to premiership glory, but on Wednesday night when he worked to get the best from a Panther it was a little different.

This time he did it from the gig and the Panther he helped was an eight-year-old gelding called Panther Star.

While the $31 outsider took a few odd strides racing down the home straight at the Bathurst Paceway, Hewitt kept him going to pick up the 10^th win of his career.

"As I angled to the outside he got a little bit sketchy, but after I balanced him and checked him off Matty Rue [aboard Firehouse] for the final part of the turn he felt super. I thought it was more he was just going too quick for himself," Hewitt said.

"Halfway up the straight he put in another funny one, lucky I still had plenty of horse left in him. He ended up balancing up and finding the line nice and comfortable.

"He can do a few funny things but nothing like that, usually once he's rolling, he's rolling - I don't know if he was doing it because he was trying to go too quickly. But if they're still finishing off full of energy like that, they're doing something right."

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After going from barrier 10, Hewitt settled Panther Star one out and four back as $3.30 second elect Karinya Max set an easy tempo up front.

There Hewitt stayed until just before the 400 mark when he peeled out with Panther Star. He guided him four wide through the final bend and despite a couple of off strides, he hit the front inside the final 100m.

The Danny Dwyer trained Four Starzzz Shark x Lady Elise gelding went on to win by 2.7m over Firehouse ($7), Hewitt saying: "I think if he didn't put that funny one in he wins by further."

"It's very hard to come wide at that point of the turn. It would've been about 420-430 I had to get going and that's still a fair sprint for a horse in these cold conditions.

"They were going pretty well up front so I thought it would be hard to catch them, but the way he felt when I got him out, I was pretty confident."

It was a good night for the Hewitt family as Doug's father Bernie landed a double with Alta Equus ($11) and Bettor Shake It ($7.50) both winning while his sister Gemma picked up a victory with Keayang Kreuzer ($2.70).

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