Captain Hammerhead has been thrown into the media spotlight after John Singleton selected the Victorian pacer as his representative in the TAB Eureka.
Trainer-driver David Moran and Captain Hammerhead’s owner Domenic Martello were informed of gaining a berth in the race after the three-year-old took out the $50,000 The Singo at Menangle on Saturday night.
The high-profile Sydney-based advertising mogul had the choice of any runner in the race, but Moran was always quietly confident Captain Hammerhead would be selected should he be victorious.
“I had a bit of an inkling and then John Singleton let it slip at the presentation after the race,” Moran said.
Captain Hammerhead enjoyed a cosy run four back along the pegs before Moran pulled out and landed the one-out one-back trail with 800 metres to travel.
Captain Hammerhead ($4.60) issued his challenge half-way down the long Menangle home straight and the son of Captaintreacherous forged clear over the concluding stages to score from Naturally Gifted and Heza Son Of Agun.
Moran said he knew the start could be a concern from the pole.
“It’s a tricky draw barrier one at the 2400 metre start at Menangle as the outside horses get a fly, but you always seem to get a run so I wasn’t that concerned when I was four back on the inside,” he said.
Moran believes Captain Hammerhead will prove competitive in the world’s richest harness race on September 2.
“Being a three-year-old he will draw well and then I can drive him conservatively with no pressure, and he has a good sprint so he will be thereabouts,” he said.
Moran admitted the TAB Eureka hadn’t been a long-term plan for the horse.
“To be honest it was never on the radar until he won the Nutrien final last week and then Alex Alchin suggested I should come up for The Singo,” he said.
Captain Hammerhead will join Andy Gath’s Catch A Wave (Cordina), Ahmed Taiba’s Captain Ravishing (Team Zav), Emma Stewart’s The Lost Storm (TAB) and Encipher (Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock) as Victorian-trained horses in the 10-strong field for the $2.1million slot race.