Look, you may on the surface struggle to find any sort of similarities between Tom Cruise and Frank Hurst. But – and stay with me now – the similarity is that both have one very important thing in common. Both Tom and Frank have the need, the need for speed.
Tom had it in Top Gun, and Frank, had it at Gosford on Tuesday night when his up and coming sprinter Good Odds Cobber took out the first NSW Group race of the year, the Beast Unleashed Gosford Gold Cup Final.
Jumping nicely from box three and staying glued to the rail around the first turn, Good Odds Cobber was able to take control of the race up the back and stave off all challengers to win the $40,000 Group 2 final in 29.31s. Favourite Eyes To Eyes was a gallant second ¾ length back with My Hepburn third a further 2½ lengths away.
“Leaders win races. If you haven’t got speed, you’ve got nothing ... really. You’ve got to breed for speed,” Hurst said after the victory.
“He was the slowest qualifier last week. He had the eight (box) here last week and I don't know why but he missed it badly. Whether it was because he was (drawn) off the track, or he didn’t hear it, I don't know what it was, but he redeemed himself tonight. He chased hard through the first turn and he put them off their game.
“It's good to be back in the winner’s circle. It's pretty exciting as you could imagine.”
There was not only redemption for his dog, but also for Frank who 12 months earlier came within a neck of winning the Gosford Cup when Mia She’s Fast was runner-up behind Punter’s Bandit.
Good Odds Cobber - who has now won 10 of his 15 starts - is from the second mating of supersire Fernando Bale and Hurst’s handy race bitch Good Odds Meghan, a sister to his Million Dollar Chase winner Good Odds Harada.
The first mating of the couple produced Good Odds Emma who in 2022 won the Group 1 Dapto Megastar.
With an early Group win in the pocket for 2024, Frank and his wife Tracey who owns Good Odds Cobber, will look for more Group Glory later this month at Wentworth Park in the Ladbrokes National Derby.
“We don't get too carried away, you never get too carried away with them. The Derby is the next port of call, that's been the plan all along,” Hurst said.
And then a hint to later in the year and perhaps chasing the race he won with Good Odds Harada back in 2019. “Yeah then Million Dollar Chase in October if he’s still there.
“We can dream because we have got a dream machine.”
