Expensive Perth-bred gelding Bustling could return to his home state for a rich prize race after a disappointing start to his tenure under the care of Melbourne co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr last September.
When trained by Dan Morton, Bustling was one of the most talked about horses in Australia following a blistering start to his racing career when he won four of his five two-year-old starts and the hype only increased after being purchased for a massive $2 million by his new connections.
Bustling won Perth’s two major juvenile races: the G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) in a four-length demolition, leading from start to finish in slick time before winning the Group 3 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in similar fashion and ending his maiden campaign on a brilliant high when scoring by nearly three lengths a fortnight later.
Bred at Oakland Park Stud, the home of Australian Hall Of Famer, Northerly, Bustling walked away from Perth racing claiming honours as Western Australia’s Horse of the Year, a unique achievement for a two-year-old, who created a big impact with his explosive speed and acceleration.
Such was his reputation the son of Frosted was one of the first to hold a slot in last year’s $20 million The Everest, but those ambitious plans had to be shelved after he failed to fire a shot and ran below lofty expectations in his interstate debut.
After a couple of encouraging trials, the much-hyped Bustling finished in eighth position with just the one horse behind him when four lengths from winner, Traffic Warden in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill five months back.
Kent Jnr says Bustling is ready to hit the track again and he remains confident after some remedial work the former Perth dynamo can kick start his career for a second time a claw back some lost pride after his Sydney failure.
“He’s had a really good spell and is in really good shape,” Kent Jnr said on Tabradio.
“He’ll have a gallop on the weekend and kick off around the end of March.
“I think he went out at 480kg and returned into work at 560kg.
“When you look at him he’s not a big horse, but 560kg is not a small horse.
“He’s got a lot of muscle mass, got great length to him and he’s in really good shape.
“He’s had four weeks of pre training and probably will have his first gallop on the weekend.
“We’ll work out his programme as we get a little closer, but he is probably ready to kick off end of March I would have thought.”
Although disappointed Bustling couldn’t reach the Everest for his new team of owners, Kent Jnr said the stable erred on the side of caution.
“We have to get him back and let the horse do the talking, he just had feet angles that were just not right and disuniting," Kent Jnr said.
“He didn’t do it in his trial in Sydney leading in, he trialled so well there and ran slick time.
“He didn’t disunite, but in his one race start he did.
“He had another gallop and we were not 100 per cent happy with him.
“We could have forced the issue but all the owners are seasoned campaigners.
“While he was an expensive purchase the feeling was, we have a really nice horse on our hands and lets just get him right.
“He’s moving very well but proof will be in the pudding when he gets back going fast again, but we’re very hopeful.”
Kent Jnr has not dismissed Bustling’s return campaign to include Perth and a shot at The Quokka, a $5 million slot race at Ascot in April.
“We’ve had a brief conversation about it,” Kent Jnr said.
“It seems an obvious race and he has been very good previously at Ascot over 1200m.
“The timing is very good for us and incredible prize money.
“If we got him back to his best it would be a nice option for him.”
Julio Santarelli