The Hombre rekindles hope | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

GLENN TAYLORby John Jenkins

The Hombre, winner of a minor three-year-old race on his home track at Hastings this time last year, will tomorrow try to become the first locally owned and trained winner of the group 1 $200,000 Mudgway PartsWorld Stakes, feature race on the first day of the Hawke's Bay Spring Racing Carnival.

Trainer John Bary prepares the big Lucky Owners gelding at Hastings, racing the 4-year-old in partnership with three other Hawke's Bay men, Ivan Grieve, John O'Sullivan and Chris Skerman.

The Hombre has already given the quartet plenty of race day thrills, from the day when he won his race debut, as a 2-year-old, over 1200m at Hastings in April last year.

Following two more wins, one on this same race day last year, Bary took The Hombre across the Tasman for the Queensland winter carnival, where he was successful first up in the group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2020m) and then a game second in the group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m).

The Hombre then raced like a tired horse when well beaten in the group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) and was brought him home for a well earned rest.

Tomorrow's 1400m race marks the horse's eagerly awaited return and Bary is confident of a good performance fresh up.

Bary gave the horse a trip away to the Taupo races on August 13, where he had an exhibition gallop between races, and he is thrilled with the horse's progress since his regular jockey, Jonathan Riddell, rode him in a track gallop at Hastings last Thursday.

"He's absolutely thrived since that gallop," Bary said this week.

"He's fit and well and we just want a good draw and a reasonably good track."

Bary got one of those wishes when The Hombre drew barrier three and, with fine weather and strong westerly winds forecast for Hastings in the next couple of days, the track is expected to provide footing that is no worse than slow tomorrow.

The Mudgway PartsWorld Stakes, the first group 1 race of the new racing season, invariably attracts a high class field and this year is no exception.

The early favourite with the TAB is last year's runner-up Mufhasa while last season's outstanding performer Wall Street and the 10-year-old Wanganui-trained war horse Bulginbaah have also come in for plenty of support.

This is the 13th year that Mudgway PartsWorld has sponsored the race and Wayne Mudgway, owner-manager of the Hastings-based auto dismantling business, is thrilled the race has again drawn the cream of New Zealand's gallopers.

"The field is great, with Katie Lee the only one not there," Mudgway said.

Admission is $10 for this raceday, with the first race at 11.25am. However the race sponsor Wayne Mudgway is offering free admission tickets which can be obtained from Mudgway PartsWorld's Omahu Road premises up until noon today.