Ginger Mick Lands a Sentimental Win for Hughes

It was only a maiden, but Ginger Mick’s win at Cluden Park yesterday was charged with emotion for his trainer Graham Hughes.

The win in the Vale Stan McLellan Mdn Plate - a race named in honour of his good mate, trainer and mentor – meant the world to Hughes.

Stan, a former leading trainer and doyen of the Townsville racing community, passed away in January aged 90.

“I’ve been mates with Stan for 50 years and it was really good that I won that race,” an emotional Hughes said.

“He was a very good friend of mine. He helped me when I was young and never stopped helping me.

“I know Michael (McLellan’s son) wanted a local to win it so it was good.”

Hughes continued his magic touch with cheap cast-offs from NSW with the gutsy Ginger Mick.

The $2000 bargain buy ran an eye-catching third at his first start for Hughes over 1000m last month before defying a distance jump to 1400m to win yesterday.

“I got him from Tod Howlett in NSW. Dordogne, Magic Belinda, Prince Akeem all came from him. They’re not overpriced and they’re suited to the easy class,” Hughes said.

“Every meeting he’s going to down there he runs into horses trained by Lees, Waterhouse. He can be in the country and he’s up against them.

“So they’re coming here to slightly easier grade but they’ve still got to do it.

“I would have preferred to run Ginger Mick over 1200m and then 1400m but that was the only race available so we thought we’d send him around.

“He fought on well and ran it right out. He had to do it tough from the wide gate.”

The stable capped a big day when Let’s Ride charged to a smart win in the 0-58 BM Hcp (1200m).

Given a box-seat run by Justin Stanley, Let’s Ride seized an inside run at the 200m and dashed to a strong win.

Hughes said a return to the roomier Cluden Park track was behind the four-year-old’s return to form.

“She didn’t handle the turn at Bowen first up and second up she lost her position around the tight corners at Home Hill.

“I was confident that she just needed the bigger track here and Justin gave her an ideal run.”

Meanwhile, trainer Les Gordy had double reason to smile after Demon Award made an emphatic winning return and debutante Hell Of A Bentley won the Ladbrokes 2YO Hcp (1000m).

Demon Award continued his upward trajectory to this year’s carnival with a 4 1/4 length first-up win in the Thank You SES BM 70 Hcp (1200m).

Hell Of A Bentley, a raw son of in-fashion sire Hellbent, closed off strongly to win from the luckless That’s It with Margot Barbie third.

Pictured: Ginger Mick with trainer Graham Hughes and connections after securing an emotional win in the Vale Stan McLellan Mdn Plate. 

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