Poster Boy son takes second GROUP 1 win
Date: 6 Oct 2026
From HarnessLink (26 September 2026)
Photo: PacePix
Outstanding juvenile Hez The Boss (Poster Boy) proved himself the best performed two year old in the West with a sterling harness racing performance to take out this year’s Group 1 $150,000 Golden Slipper Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday evening.
Facing the toughest task of his star studded career Hez The Boss was drawn out in barrier nine and was being driven for the first time by Maddison Brown since his only defeat at Pinjarra in his debut as regular driver Gary Hall Jnr elected to drive Off Shore for his team of owners.
Rather than go for the lead Brown eased back to near the rear of the field.
Ideal Whisper who has been unlucky in some of the big races was well supported into favouritism on the basis of his good barrier draw of two.
However he couldn’t muster enough early speed to hold out Scandaleyes although eventually driver Deni Roberts was able to take the lead after a short tussle. Ignite The Furnace was shuffled back from the pole and settled one out and two back after Off Shore worked up to face the breeze.
It wasn’t until the top of the back straight on the second last occasion that Brown elected to make her move on Hez The Boss and he was able to manoeuvre around the field without doing too much work. Having run steady quarters Ideal Whisper still looked the one to beat on the final bend and when he actually kicked clear of the field he looked the likely winner. However Hez The Boss kept grinding away and Ignite The Furnace was closing in as well. In a driving finish Hez The Boss showed what an outstanding youngster he is as he poked his head in front of a gallant Ideal Whisper with Ignite The Furnace a close third.
If there was a hard luck story it would have been Ilikeitlikethat who was snookered away three back on the rails but was held up for a run at the vital stage and eventually finishing fourth on the heels of the placegetters.
But nothing should be taken away from the Hez The Boss who has now won his last nine starts including two Group 1 events and $443,108 in stake money. Trained by Maddison’s father Colin, Hez the Boss is out of the New Zealand bred mare Falcons Gem who has left the prolific winners Bettors Gem and Menemsha.
Maddison Brown who has now won six Group 1 events stated after the race.
I’ve done a lot of work with him at home, and unfortunately I had to jump off him early in his career to do a stint in Melbourne for work with the gallopers and Junior got the drive and he’s such a good horse. I said to Dad ‘Just leave Junior on. A good horse needs a good driver.’ So Junior pulled the wrong rein tonight and that’s how I got back on.
