Spring definitely off the table for 'very special horse' Hitotsu

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Star colt Hitotsu (Maurice {Jpn}) won’t be seen this spring, with his trainers and owners resisting temptation to race him, preferring to take a conservative approach with arguably the most valuable racehorse in the land.

In May, it was revealed that the three-time Group 1 winner had suffered a suspensory injury. He was ruled out of the Spring Racing Carnival and his future on the track was up in the air. However, a month later, co-trainer David Eustace revealed the 3-year-old was ahead of schedule with his recovery and could make a spring cameo.

“It’s coming along very well, to the point that he might be able to have one run late in the spring. What race that would be, I’m not sure,” Eustace, who co-trains the colt alongside Ciaron Maher, said at the time.

But, speaking to TDN AusNZ on Thursday, part-owner John O’Neill said Hitotsu’s connections don’t want to take any risks and will keep him on the sidelines until the autumn.

“He tweaked his high suspensory and everyone sort of went into panic mode, obviously. It wasn’t that bad, to be honest, but the boys just erred on the side of caution,” O’Neill explained.

“We probably could have pushed and got him back for the spring. He’s responded really, really well, and we were thinking maybe we’ll bring him back for the Cox Plate or set him for the Golden Eagle or something along those lines, but we sat back and had a really good chat and just decided to play it safe.

“We’ll get him ready for the autumn next year.”

O’Neill has raced a host of stars during his time in the sport, including Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), Caulfield Cup champions Incentivise (Shamus Award) and Mummify (Jeune {GB}), five-time Group 1 winner Boban (Bernardini {USA}), G1 Blue Diamond S. victor Tagaloa and G1 Mackinnon S. winner Glass Harmonium. He claims Hitotsu, who has raced just eight times, winning four of them, could be anything.

The son of Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (Jpn) caught the eye at his fifth start, finishing fifth in the G1 Caulfield Guineas, beaten just 2.85l. That was over 1600 metres. At his next start, was tasked with an assignment that not many are - stepping up to the 2500 metres of the G1 Victoria Derby. As history shows, Hitotsu won running away. He returned in the autumn and won the G1 Australian Guineas first-up, before ploughing through the Randwick slop to claim the G1 ATC Derby.

“Ciaron has said that this horse has got the most amazing data set, his lungs are extraordinary and the ability he’s got to recover after races is phenomenal. He doesn’t want to be in a position where we risk that,” O’Neill remarked.

“We all saw what he did, he came off a Derby win and won a Guineas first-up, and then we went onto a wet track, which he doesn’t like, and he still managed to win the Derby in Sydney. I think he’s a pretty special horse.”

O’Neill praised renowned injury rehabilitation guru Lee Everson for his work with Hitotsu. Everson has helped a number of topline gallopers overcome injury, including Zoustyle (Zoustar), It’s Me (Shamus Award) and Glenfiddich.

“He’s a hell of a lot better than we thought in the first instance, which is really positive,” O’Neill commented.

“Lee Everson’s a genius. He was really surprised how well the horse has responded to the treatment.”

Looking longer-term

O’Neill added that a crack at some of the good races overseas could be on the agenda for Hitotsu, following his autumn campaign in 2023. That is, of course, assuming the horse is sound and still showing an eagerness to race.

“He might be a horse we take overseas; we might get him to Royal Ascot, we’ll see,” O’Neill said.

“The aim is to keep racing him. There’s been plenty of studs that have been interested in getting involved. Obviously, with him being by Maurice he’s a pretty valuable stallion, but (fellow owner) Ozzie (Kheir) and myself and the guys, we’re all about racing the horses. Obviously, we want to get the best return, but first of all making sure the welfare of the horse is right… we don’t need to worry too much about that when it’s with Ciaron because he’s the best of all-time at it.

“The intention certainly is to get him back and make sure that he can perform at his best again, that’s always the aim. We’ll give him every opportunity to do that in the autumn and then hopefully we go onto the spring for the Cox Plate next year.

“If he comes back the way he was running, I would love to see him over there (the UK) in those mile, 2000, 2400-metre Group 1 races. He’d be a ripper over there for those.”

Star power

He may not have Hitotsu and Incentivise (trainer Peter Moody ruled him out earlier this month) to look forward to this spring, but O’Neill has no shortage of exciting racehorses to get the adrenaline pumping.

Rising 3-year-old Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) has furnished into a beautiful filly, according to O’Neill.

Also trained by Maher-Eustace, Coolangatta won her first three starts, including two at Group 3 level, before being placing third in the G1 Golden Slipper S.

“She’s unreal, absolutely unreal, bouncing out of her skin. Ciaron sent me a few photos of her yesterday,” O’Neill said.

“She’s close to trialling. She did some fast work earlier in the week and he’s (Ciaron) really happy with her. She’s strengthened up and a bit bigger and heavier. She was a very athletic filly anyway; she doesn’t carry much weight.

“She’s certainly grown up from a baby into a nice young lady.

“We’re looking forward to seeing exactly where we can get with her. Probably the (G3) McNeil Stakes (in August) or one of those 3-year-old Group races early in the carnival is where we’ll start her off, then we’ll work out where we go. Whether we have a crack at some of the Open Group 1 sprints or stick to 3-year-old company… we may end up in the (G1) Coolmore (Stud) Stakes. We may try her over a bit more ground in a race like the (G1) Thousand Guineas, I’m not quite sure.”

Four-year-old mare Yonce (NZ) (Proisir), also trained by Maher-Eustace, strung six consecutive wins together, starting with a maiden on debut in December, before finishing fourth in the G1 Queen Of The Turf Classic in April.

“She’s come back bigger and stronger,” said O’Neill.

“It’s all systems go for her, she’s probably about two or three weeks away from a jump-out. The reports are all good with her.

O’Neill said the mare will likely be aimed at the G1 Empire Rose Classic Stakes (1600 metres) at Flemington on October 29.

“That race, yes, but she’s probably a (G1) Toorak Handicap horse or the (G1) Memsie Stakes, which Boban won a few years ago. I think 1400 metres to a mile is her go, but we’re going to have a bit of a look at that because Ozzie reckons she’s a Caulfield Cup horse.

“It will be interesting to see where we get with her, but we’ll find out early doors. She’s certainly progressing well.”

And then, of course, there’s the champ, Verry Elleegant, who is in France readying herself for her European debut with new trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

The 11-time Group 1 heroine is likely to contest the August 2 Prix Rothschild – a 1600-metre Group 1 race for fillies and mares at Deauville, en route to the famous G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.

“I’m hoping to get over there in mid-September then have a bit of a holiday before the Arc, assuming she gets there,” said O’Neill.

“She’s settled in so well; I don’t think we could have hoped for any better with her. She looks unreal, absolutely unreal. I can’t wait to see her.

“The feedback we keep getting is, ‘Wow, she’s just got this engine’, it’s just amazing.”