Good horses come and go in every era, but rarely does a real superstar emerge

Weekend Hussler won 9 of his 11 starts as a three-year old, including Group One wins in the Caulfield Guineas, Ascot Vale Stakes, Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Hcp, Randwick Guineas and George Ryder Stakes. With six Group One victories, the classy colt matched Kingston Town's Australian record for the most in a single season. When a prominent racing figure compared the colt to Vain and Manikato, it was difficult not to be enthusiastic about his potential. At one point he was winner of 12 from 17 starts including seven Group Ones, was rated the highest three-year-old sprinter in the world on any surface, and held a rating of 122 after his Newmarket victory. Weekend Hussler was named the 2007/2008 Australian Horse of the Year.

Weekend Hussler is a bay gelding by Hussonet out of Weekend Beauty (by Helissio). He was foaled in 2004. Hussonet had been a very successful sire in Chile for Haras de Pirque where he stood for the largest fee of any stallion in the history of Chilean breeding. Weekend Beauty's fifth dam was the New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Wuthering Heights, celebrated as the dam of 1970s champion Battle Heights, and grand-dam of Group one winner Noble Heights. Sent as a yearling to the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, the bay colt was an $80,000 buy from the Arrowfield draft by trainer Ross McDonald. The price was below the average figure achieved by Hussonet's first yearlings, but there was nothing average about the subsequently gelded Weekend Hussler.

His first start as a four-year-old resulted in a second placing to the unbeaten Group One winner Light Fantastic in the JJ Liston Stakes. Two weeks later he backed it up with his first win in the 2008–09 season by winning the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse, defeating Maldivian and Pompeii Ruler. A week later in the Makybe Diva Stakes (formerly the Craiglee Stakes) he won again, by 2½ lengths over Zarita and Littorio. In that event Light Fantastic suffered his first defeat to run fourth. Two weeks later, Weekend Hussler won his seventh Group One when victorious in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield over 1800 metres, his first race past the mile. Two weeks later, he finished eighth in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in his first attempt at 2000 metres. Weekend Hussler then finished twelfth behind the British racehorse All The Good in the Caulfield Cup. His first run as an autumn four-year-old resulted in a fourth in the Lightning Stakes, his second up run resulted in a fifth in the Australia Stakes. Injury concerns curtailed his four-year-old campaign and kept him out of racing during the spring as a five-year-old.

He returned to racing in February 2010 in the Oakleigh Plate, where he finished back in the field under the top-weight. Another injury (a torn off synovial pad from his off fore fetlock joint) was found after that race, and he was to miss the rest of the autumn. He returned to racing in October 2010 with a 10th placing in the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington; however, his retirement was announced shortly afterwards. Weekend Hussler's record was remarkable, and if not for recurring injuries it is uncertain how many black type races he could have potentially won.

RACE RECORD - 21:12-1-0

EARNING - A$3,096,400

MRC Caulfield Guineas Gr 1 (2007)

VRC Ascot Vale Stakes Gr 1 (2007)

MRC Oakleigh Plate Gr 1 (2008)

VRC Newmarket Handicap Gr 1 (2008)

AJC Randwick Guineas Gr 1 (2008)

STC George Ryder Stakes Gr 1 (2008)

MRC Memsie Stakes Gr 2 (2008)

VRC Makybe Diva Stakes Gr 2 (2008)

MRC Underwood Stakes Gr 1 (2008)