McCarthy confidence growing for Eureka

CHAMPION driver Luke McCarthy is warming to his chance of remaining unbeaten in the world’s richest harness race.

McCarthy won the inaugural 2023 TAB Eureka with a late pick-up drive on star Encipher, then trained and drove his own star Don Hugo to win last year.

His chances of a perfect hat-trick rest with brilliant three-year-old Hesitate (Sportswriter) and his confidence soared after a sparkling Menangle trial win today (Wednesday).

“He felt fantastic. This is the best I’ve ever had him,” he said.

Hesitate sat behind high-class speedster Hi Manameisjeff in the two-horse trial and peeled off his back to beat him comfortably by 1.7m in a slick 1min51.4sec mile.

“We’ve had loads of rain here and the track was quite sticky, so it was more like a 1min50sec flat run I think,” McCarthy said.

“It was a perfect trial. A really good hit out given he hasn’t raced for almost five weeks. I couldn’t be happier.”

McCarthy said Hesitate would either contest a three-year-old race at Menangle or just have another trial before the $2.1mil TAB Eureka on September 6.

“There’s a three-year-old race programmed and hopefully that stands up and he can race,” he said.

“If not, I wouldn’t run him the free-for-all that close to the Eureka, so I’d just give him another trial. Ideally, I could do that between races on Saturday week if the race doesn’t stand up.”

McCarthy has a proven formula giving his stars light racing preparations going into the TAB Eureka.

Don Hugo hadn’t started for six weeks when he won the race last year.

“Hesitate is fit. It’s just topping him off now,” he said.

Despite Don Hugo being out spelling, McCarthy will have a huge September 6 at Menangle.

His champion mare Eye Keep Smiling, who has won 10 races on end, is being set for the $150,000 Group 1 Len Smith Mile on the night. She ran a terrific fifth in last year’s TAB Eureka.

“There’s a mares’ race for her Saturday week and, all going well, she’ll go from that into the Len Smith,” McCarthy said.

Eye Keep Smiling hasn’t raced since running a mares’ track record 1min49.9sec mile rate for 1660m winning her second successive Group 1 Golden Girl at Albion Park on July 19.

by Adam Hamilton for Harness Racing Australia