Lightly raced four-year-old Captain Hammerhead found his way back to the winner’s stall when he led all the way in the Garrards Pace at Melton.
Sent out a $1.55 favourite, Captain Hammerhead found the front from his favourable front row draw while his main danger Classic Mission kept him company in the lead with Operative Line enjoying a cosy run awaiting the sprint lane.
Captain Hammerhead gave favourite backers a scare in the home straight when Operative Line made a charge along the sprint lane just falling short by a head on the line.
The win was the David Moran trained pacer’s first since taking out The Singo at Menangle in August last year.
Driver Nathan Jack admitted the margin was less than he would have imagined on turning for home.
“He just switched right off, he’s got a Murphy blind on and he never really saw them coming,” Jack said.
“It’s not a great habit that he wants to get into but up until then he gave me a wicked feeling, I haven’t driven him since he was a two-year-old but gee I loved him tonight,” he said.
Jack indicated Captain Hammerhead will be better suited as he progresses through the classes.
“I think you’ll find the best of him when he races against the better horses and in front if he can have one up outside him, when Kate (Gath) was up outside him he felt like a beast,” he said.
Jack continued his stellar form at Melton this season where he boasts a stunning 38% winning strike rate.