Since winning the world’s richest harness race at Menangle 15 months ago, Don Hugo has added an Inter Dominion, Miracle Mile and now Blacks A Fake to his astonishing list of achievements.
And he beats the great Leap To Fame, also a graduate of TAB Eureka, in two of those big races.
“I will always look back on the Eureka with fondness,” said Licastro. “I remember sitting in Chin Chin restaurant in Melbourne when Don Hugo had just won a race at Wagga (March 26 last year) and saying I think we can win the Eureka.
“Last week I had lunch with ‘Singo’ (John Singleton) and we talked about how the ‘Don’ raced in his slot to win it.
“It was really the springboard race for his career.
“I have been in the sport for 25 years and he is the horse I have been waiting for.
“He has given me so many great moments and hopefully there will be more to come.”
Licastro revealed that it was the late great horseman Dennis Wilson who first raised his hopes around Don Hugo.
“I bought him as a yearling at the Melbourne auction and when Dennis was unloading him from the cart when he got back to Sydney, I can still remember him saying, ‘This is the horse you’ve been waiting for, Tony. He’ll win some big races for you,'” he said.
Don Hugo defeated Leap To Fame for the second time in their matches in last Saturday evening’s $250,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.
It took his record to 22 wins and 19 placings from just 57 starts, with earnings of $2,522,974.
So, what’s next?
“That’s something Luke (McCarthy) and I are working through right now,” Licastro said.
“I am sponsoring the Menangle meeting on Saturday so he will be competing in the Ultra Air Cup that evening.
“Then we have some thinking to do about the remaining NSW Country Cups and a trip to the Hunter Cup.
“Luke would really like to focus on the Miracle Mile again and we will certainly take a look at one of the final races.”
Through Adam Hamiltonfor Harness Racing Australia
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