Brooklyn Hustle gallops at Caulfield
Beau Mertens has given Brooklyn Hustle a work-out at Caulfield ahead of the Blue Diamond.
Trainer Jason Warren has taken the opportunity to give Brooklyn Hustle more experience at Caulfield in a gallop ahead of the filly’s bid to win the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes.
Warren took Brooklyn Hustle to Caulfield on Tuesday morning and Beau Mertens rode her on the course proper gallop in company with her elder stablemate Bel Sonic.
Mertens and Warren were both more than satisfied with the two-year-old’s hit-out.
She was an impressive winner on debut at the Valley on December 1 before finishing fifth in the fillies Prelude at Caulfield last Saturday week.
“We had the option to take her out and gallop her at Pakenham and it’s a beautiful surface but we thought given the way she got around the home turn here at Caulfield in the Prelude that we would just give her another look at the track,” Warren said.
“We had a nice horse in Bel Sonic to lead her up in the gallop and he just gave her a nice lead up. So it was perfect.
“Beau was rapt with her.
“She’s right where we need her now. We trained her to have that first-up run in the Prelude to bring her to a peak and not do it on the training track. We’ll know if it’s worked on Saturday.”
Mertens rode Brooklyn Hustle to victory on debut and is back aboard on Saturday chasing his first Group One win.
Ben Melham rode the filly in the Prelude but he sticks with unbeaten colt I Am Immortal in the Blue Diamond.
“I was very happy with that work,” Mertens said.
“I just sat off Bel Sonic and she travelled really nicely for me.
“It was good to get her out here and get a look around for the second time and the last 200 metres was really good. She was strong and she picked up when I wanted her to and pulled up looking bright.”
Blue Diamond favourite Loving Gaby, who is trained at Caufield by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, was another to gallop on the course proper.
“She worked really well,” Maher said.
“She just worked with an older horse and she strode up really well. She’s spot on.”