Thriving Hawkes’ nest set to swoop with Maysoon and Mossfun
TEAM Hawkes, Sydney’s form stable, are relying on unsung duo Mossfun and Maysoon to claim a brace of wins at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Co-trainers John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes, coming off a hat-trick of wins at Randwick’s Kensington meeting two days ago, has Mossfun striving to protect her perfect race record in the Group 2 $250,000 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) and promising Maysoon returning in the Irresistible Pools and Spas Handicap (1100m).
The Hawkes stable’s midweek treble with Traitor, Global Dream and Moorluv lifted them to 28 wins and outright fourth on the Sydney trainers premiership with an extraordinary strike-rate of a winner every 3.8 runners.
Some trainers base their business around strike-rates but Michael Hawkes said this is not a statistic their stable takes any notice of.
"We wouldn’t have a clue what our strike-rate is," he said.
"For us, it is simply a matter of placing our horses in the right races. If you do that, then things like strike-rates take care of themselves."
Hall of Famer John Hawkes shares the Silver Slipper training record with Gai Waterhouse at five wins each after his previous successes with Strategic (1994), Clang (1995), Domesday (2005), Plagiarize (2006) and Shaft (2007), and the stable gives Mossfun a real chance of adding to that record.
Mossfun won the Inglis Nursery narrowly on debut back in December before a very impressive effort to take out the Widden Stakes two weeks ago.
"This filly is going really well, she is doing everything right, I can’t fault her and she will be hard to beat again," Michael Hawkes continued.
"She has drawn a little awkward in seven although it is only a small field and this filly is very adaptable.
"We feel she is a little underrated. We only paid $85,000 for her but she doesn’t know how much she cost.
"Just because she hasn’t got a big price tag, that doesn’t mean anything — she is just a real racehorse."
Hawkes said the same description applies to Maysoon, the three-year-old filly who won three races and did not miss a place in her debut six-race preparation late last year.
"Maysoon did a super job in her first campaign and I can tell you she has come back in great order," Hawkes said. "She trialled fantastic the other day.
"She is up a bit in weight and there are some nice horses in light but she is another we feel is underrated. She will run a very competitive race, like she always does."
Team Hawkes has only one runner at Flemington on Saturday — two-year-old Hostwin Pegasus in the Listed $120,000 Sports 1000 (1000m).
Hostwin Pegasus shaped promisingly on debut although well beaten by Silver Slipper contender Law at Randwick earlier this month.
"He was a bit keen, he got a little fired up at Randwick," Hawkes said.
"He did all the work in the race and on the turn I thought he was gone but he rallied to finish second.
"Under the circumstances, it was a very good run so we have shifted states with him, he’s in good order and this looks a nice race."