Progressive galloper Habana thrust himself firmly into discussions surrounding the upcoming Group 3 Easter Handicap (1600m) with a professional display at Pukekohe on Saturday.
The Lance Noble-trained gelding has a real affinity for the Pukekohe track, claiming his fourth win from four outings there and will look to extend that record in a fortnight when he tackles the traditional April feature mile.
Settled in midfield by a red-hot Warren Kennedy, who had already taken out the first two races on the card, Habana lobbed along without a care in the world before Kennedy asked him for a serious effort shortly after entering the home straight.
He hit top gear as he dashed between White Noise and eventual runner-up Belle Of The Ball on his outer, to score by a head and make it six wins from just 11 starts for owners, Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
With Noble in Australia looking after Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) candidate Polygon, who races in the same ownership as Habana, stable representative Chris Smith was on hand to outline the future plans for the four-year-old son of Zoustar.
“He's a pretty tough customer this guy,” Smith said.
“It was a big ask today with the rise in the weights (up 4kgs on his last start) and I thought he was a bit short in the market, but it was a huge performance.
“He will go to the Easter back here in a fortnight.”
Kennedy was full of praise for his mount
“He's done fantastically well on a track that he loves the most,” he said.
“He's had his issues and they have nursed him along and it was a very courageous win today.
“The second horse came at him and he just kept fighting all the way.
“I wanted to give him an economical run and waited until the 400m to really go for him.
“It is a testament to his courage that he really fought on and won a very nice race.
“He has done nothing wrong and the distance (1600m) will be right up his alley in two weeks.”
A son of four-race winning Mossman mare Jeter, who finished fourth in the 2011 Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2008m), Habana comes from an extended family that includes Group 1 Railway Handicap (1200m) winner Alynda.
Kennedy dominated the early races on the card as he took out the first event aboard the Peter and Dawn Williams-trained debutant Marengo before landing well-bred mare Avalene a narrow but impressive winner over 2100m in the second.
Bred and raced by Joan Egan, Avalene is the younger half-sister to former class mare Concert Hall who numbered the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) amongst her eleven career victories.