Hat-trick beckons for Captain Sampson at Cambridge tonight

[Wandering Eyes]

By Jordyn Bublitz 

Promising three-year-old pacer Captain Sampson will look to keep his winning streak intact when he lines up tonight at Cambridge Raceway in the 2025 Thames Pacers Country Cup (8.23pm).

The son of Captaintreacherous is trained by the father and son team of Brian and Gareth Hughes, and has been a revelation this campaign, winning both of his starts at Alexandra Park in style. 

He’ll be handled once again by his regular driver Tony Cameron, but faces a fresh challenge this evening, having been handed a 20-metre handicap for the 2200-metre standing start feature.

Despite that, the stable couldn’t be happier with where the talented youngster is at. Gareth Hughes says Captain Sampson has always shown the right signs from early on.

“He’s always had a great attitude the whole way through,” Hughes said. “He always felt like he had a bit of potential there.”

That potential has been on full display this preparation. Both of his recent wins have come in impressive fashion, first when resuming from a spell, and then when stepping up in grade and showing real grit against stronger opposition.

“To pick them up the way he did fresh up this campaign was pretty impressive,” Hughes said. “And last start, for him to do what he did against some nicer horses, he’s really stepped up and he did it quite nice.”

Tonight’s Thames Pacers Country Cup will be another test of the rising star’s ability and temperament, particularly from the handicap in a standing start event. 

“We’re just going to have to see how he steps and where he ends up,” he said. 

“He’s extremely well at the moment and we’ve been very happy with his work.”

The Hughes stable has produced plenty of smart pacers over the years, and Captain Sampson is shaping as another to add to that list. Still lightly raced and with plenty of developing to do, his connections are understandably excited about what the next year could bring.

When asked where he sees Captain Sampson in 12 months’ time, Hughes didn’t shy away from setting lofty goals.

“If he keeps progressing the way he is, I think there’s a very real possibility that he will make an open class horse, and a nice one at that,” he said. 

“This time next year he could be in a New Zealand Cup or a Junior Free For All. Obviously there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and then, but that’s definitely where we’d love to see him.”

For now, the focus is firmly on Cambridge tonight, where Captain Sampson will look to continue his perfect campaign and take another step toward fulfilling that exciting potential.

To see the Thames Pacers Country Cup field click here 

 

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