The Hombre mans up in Railway Stakes

The Hombre is knocking on the door for his first Group 1 victory in the Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

The John Bary trained gelding was runner-up to Aussie invader Atomic Force in the 2012 Railway and he can go one better in this Tuesday’s edition after an impressive three-length victory in the LR Newmarket Hcp (1200m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

The Hombre (6g Lucky Owners – Atlanta Belle by Defensive Play) has won 7 of his 39 starts and the best to date has been a Group 3 on protest in the 2010 Rough Habit Plate at Doomben.

Bary purchased him from Highview Stud at the 2008 NZB Ready to Run Sale for $50,000.  “I was confident the horse was back to his best in the Newmarket,” the Hastings based trainer said.  “Opie (Bosson) rode him brilliantly and on the corner I was starting to get very confident.”

The Hombre completed a long-term double for the Bary family in the Newmarket.  Bary’s stepfather Dick Lee trained Sharivari mare Pennevari (NZ) to win the race in 1978.  “It was a special result on Boxing Day,” Bary explained.  “Dick is 87 and still works around the stable at home and he was thrilled with how it panned out.”

The Hombre is one of just three stakes winners in the first five crops by Widden Stud sire Lucky Owners.  He was bred by the Hong Kong Breeders Club and is from a half-sister to 1997 G1 New Zealand Derby winner Great Command (Marscay).