Robin Bruss is our profile personality of the week and he was the man who brokered the purchase of the Mike Azzie-trained Argentinian-bred Hat Puntano, who carries top weight in today’s Turffontein top-liner.
Robin Bruss profile – click here
Imported to South Africa from Argentina in November 2016 and a one-time Vodacom Durban July entry, the dual Gr1 winner has only his fifth career start on Saturday. He is by Hat Trick out of the Bernstein mare, Stormy Pursuer.
Click below to see Hat Puntano in action –
Racing in the interests of Las Monjitas, Hat Puntano was trained by Carlos D Etchechoury for his first two starts and then transferred to Juan J Etchechoury for the balance of his career in Argentina.
Hat Puntano broke his maiden by 16 lengths on debut, beating a 13 horse field over 1400m on the San Isidro turf on 30 April 2016. His second start was in the Gr1 Gran Premio Gran Criterium, a race for 3yo colts and geldings over a mile, where he exhibited an impressive turn of foot to come from last to win by 2 lengths in a time of 1 min 34.66.
Get your Turffontein racecard here
Hat Puntano in action ( Pic – Hipodromo de San Isidro)
After changing stables to Juan Etchechoury, he ran in the Gr1 Gran Premio Estrellas, a mile contest on dirt at Palermo on 25 June 2016. He didn’t appear to act on the surface, and finished 6th. His final start in Argentina was on 30 July 2016, in the Gr1 Gran Premio Clasico Dos Mil Guineas (Argentine 2000 Guineas) on turf in which he disposed of the 8 horse field to romp home by 5 lengths. It was an impressive performance and good enough to prompt his purchase as a possible 2017 Triple Crown candidate.
Robin Bruss told the Sporting Post that Hat Puntano’s style of racing is very exciting. “His sire, Hat Trick, is a champion miler by the legendary Sunday Silence and a horse I happen to know very well. Hat Trick is a dual Gr1 winner and broke the track record for a mile when he won the 2005 Gr1 Kyoto Mile Championship of Japan in a time of 1:32.10. The record still stands.”
He races off a rating of 113. A National Horseracing Authority official confirmed to the Sporting Post that Hat Puntano raced off a similar rating in his home country and this rating was thus adopted here.
