Bustler set for earlier start

Trainer Neville Parnham is set to start Group 3 winner Bustler in Saturday week’s Eurythmic Stakes (1400m) at Ascot, following his second trial yesterday.

Neville Parnham had originally planned for Bustler’s first-up assignment to be in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) but is now keen to start his campaign earlier.

Parnham said his stable star would likely need the extra run in the Group 3 feature.

“I didn’t want to wait until next week (to trial him) and potentially want to run him in the Eurhythmic,” Parnham told TABradio.

“It’s still or six weeks away the Lee Steere.

“Just watching him in that trial, and getting feedback from Steve (Parnham), generally he’s been quite a fresh horse when he was younger and had more sprint in his legs.

“He seems a bit more mature and more settled.”

Bustler’s most recent campaign included unplaced runs in the Roma Cup (1100m) and Quokka (1200m), before a win in the Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m).

His Belmont Sprint win was his second Stakes success, following his victory in last year’s Fairetha Stakes (1400m).

The son of Playing God finished three lengths behind My Bella Mae in yesterday’s 1000m trial, which also featured Comfort Me, Massimo and Trix Of The Trade.

Parnham said he didn’t want Bustler to have a searching second trial.

“I didn’t really feel we needed to give him another hard hit out after he trialled last week,” he said.

“It was just to brighten him up a little bit.

“The class of the field was evident.

“I just wanted him ridden off the pace and make a little bit of ground towards the line.”

Parnham said talented three-year-old Home James would be nominated for this week’s $100,000 Max Simmonds Stakes (1000m), while last start winner Zipaway will run on Eurhythmic Stakes Day.