Team Hawkes bide time with Maluckyday
THERE is one gap in the career honour roll of John Hawkes and Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday will be out to put it right on the first Tuesday in November.
It would be one of his sweetest victories, should the five-year-old achieve it, as the effort will be under a team banner that includes sons Michael and Wayne.
Maluckyday, a son of Zabeel, was scratched from Saturday's Warwick Stakes because of a heavy track and Team Hawkes is weighing up sending Maluckyday to the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield this weekend.
"We didn't want to start him off on a heavy track and the Memsie was always an option, depending on the weather, as is the following week in Sydney," Michael Hawkes said.
"It is not about where he starts, rather the final goal in November, and how we'll snake our way there is not clear. John Hawkes will make the decision about the Memsie later in the week."
The Memsie will be the starting point for AJC Derby winner Shamrocker and weight-for-age winner Heart Of Dreams among others.
Team Hawkes had a fantastic year on the balance sheet in 2010-11, winning in excess of $4 million, but group 1 glory eluded them.
Maluckyday's second to Americain in the Melbourne Cup was one of five runner-up finishes in group 1s for the season, including three top-level seconds for sprinter-miler Love Conquers All.
"It was a very good year that could have quite easily been a great year," Michael said.
"What we are trying to do is to be competitive in group races from a small team. There are 27 [horses] in Sydney and 28 in Melbourne. It is about quality not quantity."
Maluckyday has been aimed at the Melbourne Cup from early in his career. "He exceeded our expectations last year by just getting to the Melbourne Cup, we always thought this year would be his year," Hawkes said.
"He had to win his way into the race last year and did that in the Lexus, this time we don't have to worry about qualifying - it's done, which is a bonus. He only had three runs in the autumn because we were aiming at the spring. He probably didn't come up in those runs but that can happen after a tough spring."
Team Hawkes could have a couple of Melbourne Cup runners as Niwot, the winner of the Andrew Ramsden over the cup course at Flemington, also has the two-miler as his goal.
An addition to the team is Hong Kong sprinter Happy Zero, which resumes at Moonee Valley next week after racing at Royal Ascot.
Story: Chris Roots SMH