Hewitt’s high hopes for maiden Blacks A Fake crown

By Andrew Smith

There’s no questioning what a Ladbrokes Blacks A Fake crown would mean for Brad Hewitt.

The harness trainer-driver has come agonisingly close before.

He drove Rockin Marty, trained by his father David, to second behind Amazing Dream in the 2021 edition of the Grand Circuit event.

Hewitt will get his shot at victory in Saturday night’s running of the $400,000 Group 1 event at Albion Park when he is on board Taipo.

The Goulburn-based horseman has relocated wife Milly, and children Ruby and Billy, from New South Wales for the duration of the Queensland Constellations.

The Hewitt clan is bunkered down at Shane Graham’s property at Birnam, just outside Beaudesert.

“I love it, I’ve been coming up here for about ten years now - I think I’ve only missed one carnival in the last 10 years,” Hewitt said.

“It’s the best carnival in Australia in my opinion.

“Every year there’s more racing that they’re putting on, the prize money’s going up and up each year so it’s really a carnival I like to target.

“I love coming up here with the Graham family, Shane and Kelly, and Wayne and Lyn - they’re so accommodating here and bend over backwards to help us.

“I ran second and got beaten by a nose a couple of years ago now on Dad’s horse Rockin Marty, so yeah I’d love to win a Blacks A Fake.”

It was a disappointing finish to the 2023 running of the great race for Hewitt and Taipo, coming 11^th in the 2680m trip.

The seven-year-old has enjoyed some success so far this season, with four wins and three placings from 11 starts, including back-to-back victories at Menangle before heading north.

Saturday night’s Garrards Sunshine Sprint was Taipo’s first hit out in Queensland, finishing last in the Group 1 event.

But the disappointing result has not rattled Hewitt ahead of this weekend’s main event.

“I was really happy with his run, the race was over after they’d gone 200, they just walked and there was a sprint home,” Hewitt said.

“He was a backline draw and out the back and went over the line under a stranglehold.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t drawn very well this week but I’m sure he’ll run a good race.

“We can win with a lot of luck from out there but he is going good the old horse and it’s a good solid tempo but that’s what he thrives on, so if he gets a pinch of luck I’m sure he can be in the finish.”

Taipo will jump from barrier seven in Saturday night’s race.

The name on everybody’s lips is of course champion pacer and raging hot favourite, Leap To Fame.

The superstar five-year-old is aiming for back-to-back Group 1 wins after last weekend’s Sunshine Sprint, and also to make up for last year’s shock second-placed finish in the Blacks A Fake.

A spanner was thrown in the works for trainer-driver Grant Dixon earlier in the week when he drew gate one.

But it’s the best possible result for the rest of the field, with Hewitt believing the Inter Dominion champion is now vulnerable.

“Having Leap To Fame drawn one opens the race right up and it should be a bit more exciting than last week anyway,” Hewitt said.

“I think he actually can be beaten this week - you look back two starts ago, he drew one and turned up, drew two - it’s the exact same scenario this week.

“I’m sure the drivers around three and four and off the backline are going to be on their game this week to try and keep him on the fence because if he gets off, he can’t be beaten in my opinion.

“But he’s drawn one and the gate speed outside him gives everyone a bit of a chance hopefully.”

Taipo was an $81 chance as of Thursday morning, with the money pouring in for Leap To Fame as the $1.40 front runner.

Boom filly Bittersweet was due to line up for the stable in the inaugural Ladbrokes Protostar on Saturday night, but was scratched on vets advice on Wednesday afternoon.

Hewitt’s other gun filly, Millwood Bliss, is set to start as favourite in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks.

With main rival Very Pretty scratched from the lineup, the three-year-old will be looking to back up from her win in The Rising Sun Consolation in the $150,000 race when she starts from gate three.

“Drawing inside our main danger in Pete McMullen’s Aaardie B Miki…she only has to repeat what she did last start and she’s going to take a world of beating,” Hewitt said.

Rounding out a huge night for the Hewitt stable will be Captains Knock who will go around the Group 3 4YO Championship.

The pacer has drawn the 10 for the Group 3 race, and has impressed so far in the Constellations with a fourth in The Rising Sun Consolation and a second in the Sunshine Sprint Consolation.

“I’ve been really happy with him - barrier draws haven’t been his friend and it’s the same case again this week,” Hewitt said.

“He’s got a backline draw he’s going to have to overcome but his two runs so far have been really good and last week he was huge in defeat.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t got the draw this week but he is going really good and I’ve got to hope for a bit of luck.”

Aptly, Captains Knock is owned by Triple Play Syndicate which includes former Canberra Raiders skipper Jarrod Croker.

The long-standing friendship between Hewitt and the NRL legend is continuing to pay dividends for the duo.

“Jarrod’s owned horses with me for probably the last 12 or 13 years now and probably owned over 20 or 30 horses over the years,” Hewitt said.

“We bought Captains Knock from the Yearling Sales about three years ago now and he’s won two Group 1s, he’s been a lovely little horse.

“He’s a good mate of mine, we sort of grew up together through high school - he just loves the horses and loves the game.

“We’ve got that syndicate and keep on rolling over and buying yearlings…no-one’s had to spend a dollar so really lucky that way.”

Hewitt’s other chances on the final night of the Constellations also include Lettuce Nipya, Bluto, The Locomotive and Reset The Bar.