CASINO Prince son Hooked was at last rewarded with a well-earned stakes victory when he posted an emphatic all-the-way win in the NJC Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle on Wednesday.
The Gr.1 ATC Derby placegetter looks to have returned in good order for trainer John Thompson. Heavily supported into $3.60 fav, Hooked gave his backers very little cause for concern, streaking away late to record the easiest of wins over Rugged Cross and another Casino Prince stakes winner in Mighty Lucky.
“He has been knocking on the door and he deserves (a Stakes win). he has been honest without winning,” Thompson said.
“He has always raced at the top level, but probably been a length below those good horses. He has still racked-up more than $450,000 in prizemoney.”
Hooked will head to the Gold Coast at the weekend to be sold at a Magic Millions dispersal of the Patinack stock at the end of the month. There will probably not be another spring run for the four-year-old that promises to be competitive in the Spring middle distance features.
Hooked won his debut in Brisbane by nearly 3-lens back on April 1 in 2013.
After that, he contested a string of stakes races, most of them Group 1’s, and was rarely far away.
Indeed Hooked was an outstanding performer throughout the inaugural Championships finishing 5th in the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas before his third placing in the ATC Australian Derby.
