All Too Hard 3yo Gretzky has ground out a tough, front-running victory for Team Hawkes at Sandown Hillside.

Having his first start in Melbourne following a close-up second at Hawkesbury last month, the no-nonsense gelding was headed in straight but got off the canvas to defeat Hermanito (I Am Invincible) by a length.

“He had to work, work, work to cross from an outside gate and we were lucky to get a breather at the half-mile,” jockey Dwayne Dunn said after the Dream Thoroughbreds Plate (1600m) on Wednesday.  “He really dug deep when the other horse ranged up and was solid through the wire.

“John (Hawkes) knows how to switch them up and adding a visor made all the difference.  The further he goes the better and I think he’s got a future.”

Gretzky is a son of for the Peter Moody-trained mare There’s Only One (Testa Rossa) who won 9 races up to Group 3 level in the Geoffrey Belmaine Stakes at Caulfield.  He was pin-hooked for $120,000 as a foal at the 2015 Magic Millions National Sale and then made $300,000 back on the Gold Coast at the 2016 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

The Sandown victory improved All Too Hard’s stats to 26 winners of 35 races in Australia this season for $1.51 million in prizemoney.  And there’s more dollars on the horizon this Saturday at the Magic Millions $10 million Raceday on the Gold Coast.

The Vinery sire has Sasso Corbaro & Curdled in the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) while All Too Huiying has accepted for the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (2200m).

GRETZKY