3 minute read

Trainer Jeff Englebrecht describing much improved gelding Hammoon Boy who chases a hat trick of wins at Taree tomorrow.

This preparation Hammoon Boy has really turned the corner. A bully and hard horse to handle in his early days, the five-year-old gelding by Bite the Bullet, has come back a different horse since resuming from a 251-day spell in September.

“Mentally and physically he’s come back a different horse,” Wyong-based Englebrecht said. “He’s got his head around everything now.

“He’s clicked into gear and thinking about everything differently now.

“He did well in his first preparation even though he was a bugger to ride and handle then next time around he was a bit wishy washy. He just wasn’t interested.

“We gave him a good spell and this time around he’s been hitting the line really well. He knows where the finishing post is.

“I gave him two jump outs before this campaign then gave him another one and it’s all just fallen into place since then.”

Hammoon Boy, bred and raced by cattle and sheep farming property owners Paul and Belinda Frampton, tackles the McGrath’s Meats Class 3 Hcp (1000m).

The gelding resumed from his spell with an encouraging three lengths second to Quell in a 900m Benchmark 55 event at Cessnock on September 29.

He then struck form recoding a 1.8 length win over 1000m at Muswellbrook in the same grade on October 21 and repeated the does, this time by 1.5 lengths, at the same track and grade on November 2.

“He pulled up well after Muswellbrook. Everything is right with him,” Englebrecht added. “He’s been hitting the line really well.

“Tomorrow will be a bit of a test for him up in grade but there looks to be a bit of speed in the race and hopefully he can get a camp just off them and finish his race off well.

“He gets in with a nice weight (55kg) which helps.”

“When I saw the race was on I got onto Serg early. He’s a strong boy and Hammoon Boy needs a strong rider. He’s got to be ridden out of the gates,” Englebrecht said.