Nathan Hurst with Golden Guitar hopefuls Tulhurst Courage and Make Some Magic. Photo: Paul Mathews. 220113PML03
NATHAN Hurst doubles up at Tamworth Paceway tonight.
The trainer/driver from Eglinton (just outside of Bathurst) starts two of his stable in the feature $20,000 Pryde’s EasiFeed Golden Guitar Final (180m) tonight as well as two pacers in the main support race, the $10,000 Pryde’s Tamworth City Cup (2360m).
Make Some Magic and Tulhurst Courage are his two Golden Guitar finalists with partner, Angela Hedges, to drive Make Some Magic while he drives Tulhurst Courage.
Both were heat winners at Tamworth Paceway Sunday evening.
A few races earlier and he and Angela drive Regal Eagle and Strong Sapphire in the Pryde’s Easifeed Tamworth City Cup (2360m).
“It’s a busy night,” Hurst said this week.
When pushed for a tip he had to think.
“Maybe the first one (in the first race of the night),” he said.
“They’re all good chances.”
His two Golden Guitar hopes, Tulhurst Courage and Make Some Magic both impressed winning their heats Sunday evening.
“They were terrific, qualifying was probably the hard part.
It’s a pretty even field and will be hard to win.
“We’ll need a bit of luck”
Last year was his first trip to Tamworth and he qualified two for the Golden Guitar Final then too.
“They ran last and second last,” he shrugged.
“Had no luck.”
Make Some Magic started in that 2012 Final but “got really wide around the last turn”.
“She’s going really good though,” he said of a mare who will be driven by Angela Hedges.
Tamworth is a tricky, tight 750m track and is built for front-running, on-the-pace horses.
Hurst has tried a few different things this year although he is stabled at Paul and Michael Grima’s Glendore property, just south of
Tamworth.
“It’s probably the best set up I’ve seen,” Hurst said of the property with its own 740m track and big and spacious boxes.
“I couldn’t be happier with the horses, they’ve settled in here really well.
Hurst, 32, has been driving since he was 18.
His father, Kevin Hurst, has been a big backer and owns a number of horses.
“But we have some great clients and syndicates,” Hurst said.
Winning the Tamworth City Cup would be a bonus as well.
Strong Sapphire, Nathan said, ran a good fourth in the Gold Nugget last Wednesday at Tamworth Paceway.
“He was just in behind the placings of a race dominated by Inter Dominion runner-up Karloo Mick.
“Regal Eagle also won here last Wednesday.
“We won four races for the week. That’s pretty good. Had a very good week, hope it keeps going. Regal Eagle has been racing in the top grade for a while now and should go pretty close.”