Text’N Hurley scored her maiden win at Group level in the 2014 Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley last night and trainer Colin Little revealed after the race that the talented mare could be set for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
Text'n Hurley could be set for the 2014 Caulfield Cup after winning the Group 2 Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Text’N Hurley was settled at the tail of the field by jockey Craig Williams, but she quickly made up extra ground when asked for an extra effort and swooped the rest of the field to score a comfortable victory from Bippo No Bungus and You’re So Good.
Little was thrilled with the effort of Text’N Hurley and revealed after the race that be believes the Hard Spun mare will be even better when she gets an opportunity over 2400 metres in the spring.
“She is actually a 2400 metre horse just been kept fresh,” Little said.
“She is a stayer, but because the mares races are 1600 metres, we brought he back in distance.
“She stood up tonight, there has to be a race for her somewhere in the spring for her.”
Text’N Hurley made a slow start to her summer preparation, but broke through for the first race win of her campaign in the Inglis Easter Handicap (2040m) at Moonee Valley on February 21 before finishing second behind Bonaria in the Group 3 Schweppervescence Trophy (1600m) at Flemington on March 8.
The four-year-old looked as though she was going to win the Schweppervescence Trophy, but hit a flat spot at the end of the race and Little elected to remove ear muffs from the mare in an attempt to avoid a repeat performance in the Sunline Stakes last night.
“The ear muffs have been on her since she was a yearling because there was a problem in the barriers when she was been broken in,” Little said.
“We had not been game to take them off, but I’d been worried about that flat spot and it wasn’t there tonight.”
Text’N Hurley has been included in the nominations for the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 19, but Little did not confirm whether he would bring his star mare to Sydney for the $1 million event.
