Hornets' Nest – the last horse to beat PDL

THE last horse to beat Puissance De Lune in a race is being set for an audacious tilt at this year’s Cox Plate.

Hornets’ Nest is far from a household name, but the James McNamara-trained gelding is putting every hoof forward in a bid to compete in Australia’s premier weight-for-age event.

McNamara, who prepares the son of High Chaparral at his Koroit property in Victoria’s western district, said he had mapped out a campaign to give Hornets’ Nest the best opportunity to qualify for the Cox Plate.

“He’s only got a rating of 82, so he’ll have to do absolutely everything right to even get a start, but I reckon he’s got enough ability to compete in a Cox Plate,” the trainer said.

“He had a jump out at Hamilton this morning (Wednesday) and got through it no problems.”

McNamara said that in an ideal world, Hornets’ Nest would have had at least one or two races under his belt this preparation, but had to recover from injury after tearing a muscle in a race at the Warrnambool May Carnival.

“There’s no room for error now, if we want to make (the Cox Plate),” he said.

“We’d probably have to win every race to get there.”

Hornets’ Nest will likely start in an $80,000 Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 14 before a possible crack at the Group 2 City Jeep Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) at the same venue under lights on Friday, September 27.

Should the six-year-old gelding win both of those, McNamara said he would likely enter his stable star in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on October 12, two weeks before the Cox Plate.

“He’s probably going to be a better chance of making it next year, but we’ll give him every chance,” McNamara said.

The part-time trainer, who owns the Koroit Milk Bar with his wife Lisa, said he still couldn’t believe his luck after purchasing Hornets’ Nest for a paltry $2500 at last year’s Inglis March sale.

“I said to Lisa on the way home from the sale that his horse is bred to do anything on a racecourse,” McNamara said.

“I thought he could even make it to a Melbourne Cup.”

A three-quarter brother to the Chris Waller-trained Foreteller, a Group 1 victor and winner of more than $1 million, Hornets’ Nest had just two starts for Lee Freedman before being resold.

In both races last year he ran last, at Mornington over 1600m (January 1) and Werribee over 2000m (January 15). Both were on rock-hard surfaces.

McNamara said he thought Hornets’ Nest was probably cast aside because he preferred the sting out of the ground and was a hard horse to train.

“He’s a real head case when you’re working him. He can be a handful,” McNamara said.

The $2500 buy has already proven to be a bargain, especially as Hornets’ Nest was rumoured to have cost his original owners in excess of $700,000.

Last year in his first run for McNamara he won on a heavy 10 at Warrnambool over 1700m, paying a massive $85 on the Victorian TAB.

Eleven days later, over 1600m on a heavy 8 track at Ararat, he won again at big odds, saluting at $13.

Proving his ability, he backed up nine days later to win the Coleraine Cup (1800m) on a dead 5 track, again at the generous odds of $13.

But without a doubt his biggest win was in the $50,000 Showcase Benchmark 89 Handicap (2200m) at Warrnambool on October 12, where he defeated current Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune by a half-length.

The Darren Weir-trained star was $1.20 with bookmakers and probably would have won the race if not for interference, but the winner was bold in victory.

Hornets’ Nest, who was again $13 that day, went straight to the paddock after that run, while Puissance De Lune went on to win the Listed Bendigo Cup (2400m) by eight lengths and the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington by five lengths.

The grey import is now the favourite to win this year’s Melbourne Cup and is the odds-on fancy in this Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).

McNamara said seeing Puissance De Lune push forward after running second to Hornets’ Nest gave him confidence that his gelding was capable of racing at the top level.

“I’m not saying the horse is better than (Puissance De Lune), but I am confident he can go to that level,” he said.

“If I’m wrong, I reckon he’ll be winning plenty of $80,000 races in Melbourne over the quieter periods.”

McNamara said he and the horse’s owners, who are all friends and family, were having a great time and enjoying the thrill of preparing for big races.

“The only city starters I’ve ever had were Dinna Later, who raced over the jumps at Sandown, and Streets Apart, who raced at Moonee Valley last month. I’ve never had a winner in town.

“I’m hoping that will change soon.

“If someone offered me a million dollars for the horse I wouldn’t take it, because we’re having so much fun with him.”

Hornets’ Nest opened as a $301 chance to win the Cox Plate with TAB Sportsbet and McNamara said he had “a little bet on him … just in case”.

Bargain buy launches ambitious campaign in Moonee Valley feature

Hornets’ Nest is no longer known as the last horse to beat Puissance De Lune, but he will have a bigger boast later this spring if James McNamara’s ambitious plan comes off.

McNamara, who trains his small team at Koroit in Victoria’s western district, is setting the High Chaparral gelding for the $3 million Group 1 Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m).

His campaign begins in Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at the Cox Plate venue, Moonee Valley.

“He’s only got a rating of 82, so he’ll have to do absolutely everything right to even get a start, but I reckon he’s got enough ability to compete in a Cox Plate,” the trainer said.

McNamara said that in an ideal world, Hornets’ Nest would have had at least one or two races under his belt this preparation, but had to recover from injury after tearing a muscle in a race at the Warrnambool May Carnival.

He originally planned to start the six-year-old in the $80,000 Jeep Don’t Hold Back Handicap (1600m) this weekend, but elected to have a throw at the stumps in the Dato after Cox Plate favourite Atlantic Jewel opted to contest the Stocks Stakes.

Hornets’ Nest will most likely return to Moonee Valley on Grand Final Eve (27 September) and McNamara said if he performs well there he would be given his shot at the Group 1 Toorak Handicap on 12 October.

“He’s probably going to be a better chance of making it next year, but we’ll give him every chance,” McNamara said.

The part-time trainer, who owns the Koroit Milk Bar with his wife Lisa, said he still couldn’t believe his luck after purchasing Hornets’ Nest for a paltry $2500 at last year’s Inglis March sale.

“I said to Lisa on the way home from the sale that his horse is bred to do anything on a racecourse,” McNamara said. “I thought he could even make it to a Melbourne Cup.”

A three-quarter brother to the Chris Waller-trained Foreteller – who is now the last horse to beat Puissance de Lune after his narrow victory over the grey in last Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes – Hornets’ Nest had just two starts for Lee Freedman before being resold.

In both races last year he failed to beat a runner home, at Mornington over 1600m (January 1) and Werribee over 2000m (January 15). Both were on rock-hard surfaces.

McNamara said he thought Hornets’ Nest was probably cast aside because he preferred the sting out of the ground and was a hard horse to train.

“He’s a real head case when you’re working him. He can be a handful,” McNamara said.

The $2500 buy has already proven to be a bargain, especially as Hornets’ Nest was rumoured to have cost his original owners in excess of $700,000.

Last year, in his first run for McNamara, he won on a heavy 10 at Warrnambool over 1700m, paying a massive $85 on the Victorian TAB.

Eleven days later, over 1600m on a heavy 8 track at Ararat, he won again at juicy odds, saluting at $13. Proving his ability, he backed up nine days later to win the Coleraine Cup (1800m) on a dead 5 track, again at the generous odds of $13.

But without a doubt his biggest win was in the $50,000 Showcase Benchmark 89 Handicap (2200m) at Warrnambool on October 12, where he defeated current Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune by a half-length.

The Darren Weir-trained star was $1.20 with bookmakers and probably would have won the race if not for interference, but the winner was bold in victory.

Hornets’ Nest, who was again $13 that day, went straight to the paddock after that run, while Puissance De Lune went on to win the Listed Bendigo Cup (2400m) by eight lengths and the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington by five lengths.

McNamara said seeing Puissance De Lune push forward after running second to Hornets’ Nest gave him confidence that his gelding was capable of racing at the top level.

“I’m not saying the horse is better than (Puissance De Lune), but I am confident he can go to that level,” he said.

“If I’m wrong, I reckon he’ll be winning plenty of $80,000 races in Melbourne over the quieter periods.”

McNamara said he and the horse’s owners, who are all friends and family, were having a great time and enjoying the thrill of preparing for big races.

“The only city starters I’ve ever had were Dinna Later, who raced over the jumps at Sandown, and Streets Apart, who raced at Moonee Valley last month. I’ve never had a winner in town.

“I’m hoping that will change soon.

“If someone offered me a million dollars for the horse I wouldn’t take it, because we’re having so much fun with him.”

Hornets’ Nest opened as a $301 chance to win the Cox Plate with TAB Sportsbet and McNamara said he had “a little bet on him … just in case”.