Well,
we’re finally back in town !!
And what a way to make our metropolitan debut
for the new calendar year.
If there’s an ounce of jumps racing in
your blood, then the Autumn Hurdle at Flemington today will certainly get your pulse
racing.
It’s a high class day of racing at
headquarters and the curtain will be raised by what promises to be an outstanding
exhibition of hurdling by seasoned performers and aspiring talents alike
Topweight, Jarl will carry the no.1
saddlecloth which reqires little explanation.
The nine year old took all before him last
season, notching a win over both types of obstacle, highlighted by his victory in the
A.R.Dodson Australian Hurdle at Sandown. The Leonie Proctor trained gelding followed on
with a 6th in the Grand National Hurdle, then displayed the versatility that only good
horses can in switching to the fences and concluding the season with a brave third behind
Logician in the A.V.Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley.
Jarl has had six runs on the flat this time in
and wound up his preparation for his return to hurdling with a trial at Cranbourne on
February 26.
It’s horses of this calibre this early in
the year that are sure to excite the imagination of all racegoers out at Flemington today.
There will, however, be plenty of opposition
to the highly fancied Jarl from a band of honest - but in form rivals - keen to take the
scalp of such a well performed jumper.
Down in the weights, the Matthew Hyland
trained Unanswered may provide the toughest of that opposition, having given us a taste of
his potential at his only jumps appearance to date, winning the opening event of the year
at Terang.
He will be facing the starter for the eleventh
time since commencing his preparation back on the 31st. of October, but having been racing
in some of the best form of his career recently, the rejuvenated 5yo will leave nothing to
chance on the score of fitness and only his ability to match it with quality jumping
opposition will be put to the test here.
Covet Cross just about dead-set deserves to
win this race though !!
The pocket dynamo has thrilled connections at
all three hurdle starts to date, finishing second on each occasion, with his last start,
narrow defeat at the hands of Tijuana Taxi showing that he will be able to either take a
sit from his number 4 alley, or as he did at his first two assignments, get out and make
the running.
On the subject of Tijuana Taxi, it would be
hard to find a more hardened hurdler going around at this stage of the year.
Since making his debut on New Year’s day,
the rangy bay has competed in six hurdle events and broke through for a well earned
victory at Mornington last start. He should enjoy a lovely run from stall 3 and would be
no surprise to see him measure up in a race such as this.
The class of the race will certainly hold no
fears for the connections of Bold Impulse, who took out the B.R.Smith Hurdle at his first
ever appearance over jumps and backed up a month later for another victory, placing his
untarnished record on the line here today.
In a male gender biased affair, 6yo mare,
Centre Viva will fly the flag for the fairer sex, whilst the Eric Musgrove pair of
Hibernian Prince and Real Zeal will add to the likes of last start winners, Knight’s
Passage and Thornboy, along with Flying Voodoo, Latin Lava, Our Grades and Zabeel’s
Pride to complete a field that is sure to give us a race that can be looked back on as one
of the highlights of the season.
So get out to Flemington today and enjoy the
day and make sure you tell everyone you see to ..............GO JUMP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
