Trainer Emma Stewart thinks the unbeaten Always Hot could be the stable’s next superstar.
Of all the young stars Stewart and Clayton Tonkin have trained, you get the feeling Always Hot could be the best yet.
While Ladies In Red is the best performed pacer to go through the stable, Ride High is widely considered the most talented.
Hence the significance when Stewart says Always Hot is “our next Ride High.”
This for a three-year-old who has raced just five times for as many wins and will head interstate for the first time to tackle the $50,000 Group 3 Simpson Sprint at Menangle on Saturday night.
“We’ve got a huge opinion of this guy, always have all the way through. He’s just needed time,” Stewart said.
“His mum was a bit of a fruit loop, so we haven’t wanted to rush him.
“He’s looking like our next Ride High and you know how much we thought of him.
“He’s as tall as Ride High, but he’s not as big. He’s a more racy type.”
Always Hot has headed north early to chase a golden ticket into the $200,000 NSW Derby on Miracle Mile night (March 8).
“It’s his first trip away and he’s got his quirks, so we’d love to win this week and then we won’t have to return until the Derby (final), but we’ll go back for the heats if need be,” Stewart said.
Always Hot, who finished last season winning the Vicbred 2YO final on September 14, opened this season with the most stunning of wins in the Caduceus Club 3YO Classic at Melton on January 25.
Despite doing the work, he cruised home without being extended by driver Greg Sugars and posted a blistering 1min50.9sec mile rate for 1720m.
No wonder Sugars gave up a good set of drives at Cranbourne Cup night to partner Always Hot at Menangle.
Stewart’s talk of options beyond the NSW Derby further underlined her massive opinion of the colt.
“He’ll go to Queensland and we’ll look at the Rising Sun as well as the Derby,” he said.
“Peter (Gleeson, owner-breeder) said we’re allowed to run him in the TAB Eureka, too, if we think it’s the right thing to do closer to the race.
“Bay Of Biscay running second last year (in the TAB Eureka) has shown you can run the right three-year-old and they’ll be very competitive.”
Always Hot is the start of a long list of young Stewart and Tonkin-trained stars set to race at Menangle in coming weeks.
“We’ve got Miki To Success into the Chariots and will chase starts with Bay Of Biscay, Kingman and maybe Some American, too,” Stewart said.
“We’ve also got The Highlight Reel and Cigano ready to go and they’ll have a crack at the (NSW) Derby, too.”
In other exciting news, brilliant young mare Very Pretty is through her issues and building towards a racetrack return.
“She just wasn’t quite right, she didn’t look right, so we gave her a long break and she’s great now,” Stewart said.
“She’s good. She’s almost Ladies In Red good, we think.
“I’d say Queensland (winter) is when you’ll see her back in the big races.”
Very Pretty has raced just 10 times for nine wins, including the NSW Oaks and Breeders Crown 2YO final, and a second.