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Unique start for Luke

3 minute read

As a clerk of the course, Luke Hamilton is no stranger to guiding a horse around the parade ring, however he will have a new experience in Launceston on Wednesday night.

Jockey: Anthony Darmanin.
Jockey: Anthony Darmanin. Picture: (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

5YO gelding Need to be Unique will give Luke Hamilton his first starter as a trainer having only obtained his training licence in the last few weeks.

Need to be Unique was formerly trained by Luke's father Kelvin Hamilton so is certainly a horse that he is familiar with.

"I actually purchased him originally through Armidale (Stud)," Luke said.

"I've been doing all the riding work with him so it's a smooth transition," the Natone-based trainer added.

After an absence of 220 days since he last raced, Need to be Unique returns in the first leg of Wednesday night's quaddie, the Thank You Peter Staples BM68 (1200m).

The son of Needs Further has tuned up with a pair of recent trials but has gone through a few setbacks since an unplaced finish in August last year.

"He had an ongoing injury that kept flaring up on him.

"I changed the way I shoe him a bit and that's got him going a lot better," said Luke who has the added benefit of being a farrier.

Need To Be Unique will jump from the widest barrier in a field of eight, forcing the trainer to put faith in the rider Anthony Darmanin.

"Tough race, bad gate, but I've got him well, he's been working really good, and I've just got to leave it up to the jockey now."

A $7 chance with bookmakers on race morning, Need to be Unique looks a solid each-way chance of giving Hamilton a fairy-tale start to his training career, but he says it may be a little while before we see different runners in his name.

"I've got a couple of young ones coming through but there a little way off so at the moment Need to be Unique is the only one racing."


Racing and Sports

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