Rocky Trainer Claims Biggest Win With Northern Jewel Title

Rockhampton trainer Kris Hansen celebrated the biggest win of his brief career when Astra Star’s strode away with the $105,000 Great Northern Brewing Co. Northern Jewel at Cluden Park on Friday.

Hansen went into the race brim full of confidence and Astra Star showed his liking for the Cluden track with a powerful win under jockey Sean Cormack.

“That was my biggest win. I had a lot of confidence in the horse. He goes good the horse and it was a long range target for us,” Hansen said.

“He’s been knocking on the door and getting beaten by some nice horses and it was always a big plus that he’d already won here.

“I’ll be back for the carnival with him and I might bring a little two-year-old we’ve got with him.”

Hansen started training a little over two years ago, following in the footsteps of his well-known father Kevin who has made a number of winning raids on Townsville over the years.

The 47-year-old completed a lengthy apprenticeship working for a number of leading stables in Queensland and overseas before deciding to take out a licence himself.

“I’ve been training for two years and it’s going good. I’m starting to get some nice horses now,” Hansen said.

“I’ve been in the horses all of my life. I’ve worked for John Hawkes, Gerald Ryan, Gillian Heinrich, Bryan Guy and did a stint in Singapore for a few years riding work.

“I was always down in the south-east and then overseas, but dad was close to semi-retiring so I thought I’d come back up to Rocky and give training a go.”

“Graeme Green shares in the ownership of Astra Star and he has been a big help to me, bringing owners and their horses over to me.”

Astra Star, when under Green’s care, claimed a feature two-year-old race over 1400m at Cluden during last year’s winter carnival.

The Cosmic Force gelding picked up where he left off when he ran out a strong half-length winner in the Northern Jewel from fellow Rocky galloper Lonhy’s Fabre with roughie Under The Shadow finishing third a further 31/2 lengths away.

Leading trainer Georgie Holt is growing in confidence for next month’s $100,000 Lawrence & Hanson 2yo Classic after Satisfied Mugs scored a runaway win under 62kg in Friday’s Prelude (1000m).

The son of Invader sent an ominous message to his Classic rivals with a four length win in a super slick time of 56.05secs.

Holt admitted to being stunned by the win after being critical pre-race of the youngster’s big handicap.

Satisfied Mugs will drop to 57kg under the set weights conditions of the Classic but is yet to prove himself beyond 1000m.

“That was a very, very good win. I’m still dirty about the weight but that’s what can happen when you get cranky with the handicapper. They come out and win,” Holt said.

“He was a bit haunted after that horror race at his last start at the Gold Coast in the Jewel when he got wiped out and finished near the tail.

“I think his confidence was the biggest query coming back and obviously the huge weight.

“His work has been good and he jumped out really well, but 62kg on a small horse. I just didn’t expect him to do that.

“We couldn’t take anything out of the 1200m at the Gold Coast.

“Going off how he won today with the big weight it looks like he probably gets the 1200m.

“Dropping back to 57kg is a huge advantage but the extra trip is the only  doubt.

“I’m very happy with the position we’re in and it’s just a case of keeping him ticking over now.”

Meanwhile, big improver Rubunkar continued his rise through the grades when he scored his fifth win from his last six starts.

The Lachie Manzelmann-trained five-year-old fended off a late challenge to beat Armour Force by a half-head.

Manzelmann said a change of tactics had turned around the fortunes of the $6000 purchase who had struggled at his first few starts after joining the stable.

“He was a 55 rater four starts ago so he’s come a long way,” Manzelmann said.

“When we first got him we were riding him the same way that he raced down south out the back and looking for luck in 1000m races.

“It wasn’t working and Ashley Butler rode him here one day and got planted very wide and just couldn’t get into the race and said try him at 1200m.

“We gave him one more start at 1000m and then 1200m and he got beaten a nostril by Didley Squat at Rocky and we’ve stuck to it since.

“He just seems to really tough it out.

“With the first few runs we were on the rocks with him but he’s now won five of his last six.

“We’ll wait a little while and work out where to go next. He’s been up a very long time so there is a possibility we’ll miss the carnivals and put him away and have a crack at the Stampede in Brisbane later in the year.”