Hatsu and Hassett 'Bak' to do Business

Wulguru trainer Joanna Hassett is expecting a sharp improvement from Lightning winner Bakuhatsu back on home turf after a failed Sydney campaign when he resumes at Cluden Park on Monday.

Bakuhsatu, unbeaten in four starts over the 1000m at Cluden, will reunite with last year’s Lightning partner leading jockey Lacey Morrison in the Class 6 Plate (1000m).

The five-year-old Spirit Of Boom gelding hasn’t raced since two unplaced runs, the latest on February 10 at Canterbury, on a surprise Sydney sojourn with trainer Joseph Pride.

But Hassett says the fleet-footed sprinter struggles with big city life and will be a much stronger proposition in his familiar home environment.

“He’s a different horse back home. He’s just not a big city horse which is probably why he improved when he first came up here from the south,” Hassett said.

“After the Cairns carnival we spelled him but the owner decided to send him to Sydney .

“He went to Joe Pride who’s a hands on trainer and he’s a high maintenance horse, but he just didn’t settle in down there.

“I think Joe’s words were ‘he’s very spoilt and he’s missing his mother’. 

“His second trial down there was the third fastest of the day so he definitely showed glimpses of form and Joe Pride said I know this one can gallop.

“But he just lost it on race day. 

“He’s very fragile and needs molly coddling and it helps with us being just two streets away from the track. 

“On Monday from barrier 2 with set weights and the rail out it should really suit him.

“He’s probably had as much work as he had when he won first up for me last time and it definitely wouldn’t surprise me if he won.

“I was hoping to trial him here early in the week, but they were washed out. 

“The gallops he’s had have been very sharp and he’s pulled up well and he’ll still be pretty hard and fit from down there.

“But it is a hard race and he’ll need to be on his game to beat them.”

Hassett, who trains a small string of horses at her Wulguru stables, had a remarkable run with Bakuhatsu last year, taking the gelding from a Class 1 performer to a Lightning winner in a clean sweep of four straight wins.

The Lightning victory gave Hassett the biggest win of her career and she’s keen to defend the title again this year.

‘We’ll take it race by race with him but if we can get him into the Lightning again that’ll be great,” Hassett said.   

“We’ve got a cool crew of horses at the moment who are all running well.”

Hassett will also saddle up Vaporizing in Bakuhatsu’s race, as well as the versatile Dawn Strike in the Mitavite BM60 Hcp (1609m), and the consistent Zouvilla in the Vale Adrian Keys Open Hcp (1400m).

Meanwhile, promising fillies Redavni and Don’t Tell Leeanne will clash in one of the races of the day in the Cluden Park QTIS 3YO Hcp (1200m).

The Roy Chillemi-trained gallopers Palencia and Mystery ‘N’ Magic are leading chances in the open.

Pictured: Bakuhatsu's back! The five-year-old, with Lacey Morrison in the saddle, fights off Molongle Surprise to win last year's Lightning Hcp (1000m) at Cluden.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.