THE HULBERT TRAINING PARTNERSHIP IS ON A ROLL

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Continuing the hot run of form fir the stable, the Peter and Will Hulbert trained Mystic Aroma gave the Hulbert training partnership their fifth winner from their last ten starters when she saluted in a BM66 over 1260m at Ballina on December 6.

Jockey Mark Du Plessis, who was on Mystic Aroma, has ridden there of those winners.

Mystic Aroma, a four-year-old daughter of Divine Prophet, was first-up at Ballina, seeing race action for the first time in just over five months and the betting suggested she had been well primed for her return as she was marked up as the clear race favourite at a starting price of $3 in spite of the being allocated the extreme outside barrier draw (ten out of ten).

And she was ready.

Du Plessis initially marked time when caught wide after the start but, as the field split up after racing 200m, an opportunity presented itself for Du Plessis to angle Mystic Aroma inwards and he was able to improve and cross into a handy fifth place, only one out now and some five lengths off the speed, courtesy of a smart piece of riding.

Du Plessis made use of that running position for as long as he could, but when the race went on the earnest approaching the home turn, Du Plessis had to switch Mystic Aroma out much wider on the track to try that he would have clear running in the home straight.

As it was, Mystic Aroma cornered all of five wide, still with plenty of work to do ... but that clear running was now in play.

The chase was long and hard.

With 150m left to run Mystic Aroma was still a touch over three lengths back with three horses in from her, but she was coming ... and coming ... and coming, until she joined a line of four horses stretched across the track inside the final 50m.

Mystic Aroma had the momentum at that stage ... and she needed every bit of it ... as she earned a very hard-fought result, only getting to the front in the very last stride to win by the narrowest of margins.

It was a really tough comeback win with both horse and rider earning their payday.

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