Tom Hoping Honcho is Ready to Tee Off at Cluden

Golf loving Bowen trainer Tom Button has resisted the temptation of using a claiming apprentice on reforming bad boy Head Honcho at Cluden Park on Sunday.

Button has booked leading jockey Lacey Morrison to ride the classy three-year-old, who will lump his full 61kg impost in the Hygain 3YO Hcp (1200m).

Head Honcho has recorded all three of his career wins in Townsville, but has thrown away just as many races in a 17 start career that has been marred by his errant behaviour.

For that reason, Button has stuck with senior riders to teach the gelding to race truly, but the winner of $170,000 in prize money has been forced to concede big weights to his rivals.

“I thought about claiming but he’s just a difficult horse and I just didn’t want to run the risk,” Button said.

“The handicapper has certainly caught up with him. It makes it hard to match some of these horses down on the minimum, giving them six or seven kilos.

“It’s not easy and it has an effect on him but we just hope he’s a bit better than them.

“He kept getting barred with the apprentices earlier on. But to his credit the horse has matured a bit at home and in both starts this prep, Ryan Wiggins has ridden him, and he said his behaviour was perfect.

“That’s why in the end I opted for Lacey. She’s been asking to ride him for about six months. She’s pretty keen to get a go at him.”

Head Honcho showed considerable promise despite greenness early in his career, posting three successive seconds in Brisbane metropolitan 2yo races before transferring north to Button’s Bowen stables in April last year.

He recorded two wins at Cluden, threw a race away in Mackay before bolting on his rider and finishing sixth in the Townsville 2YO Classic. 

Since then Button has elected to use senior riders, at the expense of big weights, in an effort to teach the son of Headwater better racing manners.

In six starts since the Classic, Head Honcho has lumped big weights to a win and two seconds.

He will go into Sunday’s QTIS feature third up from a spell, after a strong closing second with 61.5kg to the smart Power Of Katie (55.5kg) over 1100m in Mackay on March 10 and a solid fifth under 61.5kg to Querida (54kg) over 1200m on March 25.

A switch back to 1200m at his favourite Cluden course, has Button feeling confident.

“His first up run was really good, big weight and a horse down in the weights that goes pretty good got us,” Button said.

“Second up I took him to Rocky and initially I thought it was an even run but Ryan Wiggins got off him and was very positive about him.

“He’s had a bit of time to get over that run. I think if he can get a good run in this field he’ll take a bit of holding out.

“Cluden is his favourite track, there’s no doubt about it. On recent form and weights Kobayastar looks the hardest to beat in my opinion.

“Unfortunately I won’t be there Sunday – I love my golf and I’ll be playing in the local golf open.”

Button and Morrison proved a formidable combination last year when they teamed to take out Townsville’s premier sprint the Cleveland Bay Hcp (1300m) with Northern Pride.

Head Honcho could follow a similar path this year but he’ll have to prove his form according to Button.

“I’ve always toyed with that plan. He’s got to have the form to warrant going there. But that’s in the back of my mind and getting into those sort of races he’ll drop a lot in weight,” Button said.

“I’ll weigh that up a bit closer to carnival time. At this stage he’s in pretty good order and he’ll go around this weekend and hopefully pick up some prize money for the owners.”

Sunday’s eight-event Cluden meeting kicks off with the  Ladbrokes 2YO Hcp (1000m) at 1.04pm.