CHAMPION jumper Gotta Take Care showed he’s on track to defend his Galleywood Hurdle crown when he gave a faultless display of jumping in a 2400-metre hurdle trial at Warrnambool yesterday.
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Gotta Take Care will be partnered by regular jockey John Allen in the $100,000 feature hurdle race at the three day Warrnambool May Racing Carnival.
Allen gave a glowing report on Gotta Take Cares’ chances in the 3200 metre race to The Standard after the trial.
“He may be a 10-year-old but I reckon he’s going as good this year as he did last year. I’ve got a really soft spot for him as I’ve won nine jumps races on him. Gotta Take Care is just a lovely natured horse,” the 30-year-old jumps jockey said.
“He’s had a good prepartion coming into this jumps season. It would be great if he could win back-to-back wins in the Galleywood. It’s one of the best hurdle races on the calendar. He ran second in 2012 and missed 2013 before winning last year. He’s been a great horse for his connections.”
Allen suggested trainer Darren Weir would take a similar path to last year with Gotta Take Care as he prepares for the Galleywood.
“I reckon Weiry will run him in the 2600 metre flat race at Flemington on Anzac Day as the final lead into the Galleywood. He won that race last year,” the Irish born jumps jockey said. “Gotta Take Care did his early work in this campaign down at Weiry’s Warrnambool satellite stable at the beach before coming back to Ballarat for the rest of his prep.”
Veteran jumps trainer Eric Musgrove was upbeat with the effort of Thubiaan in a 2800 metre steeplechase trial.
Thubiaan, which was formerly trained by champion trainer Chris Waller on the flat before transferring to Musgrove, scored an impressive win in the Von Doussa Steeplechase at Oakbank on Easter Saturday and is now being aimed at the $100,000 Brierly Steeplechase at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival. “Thubiaan is showing us plenty of potential in jumps races. We want to run him in the Brierly and I will enter him in the Grand Annual Steeplechase but I don’t think he will be seasoned enough to run in the Grand Annual this year,” Musgrove said.
“I think I’ll give him a run on the flat next week before schooling him at Warrnambool on the Sunday prior to the Brierly.
“I reckon he’ll stay all day and he jumps well so he ticks a few of the boxes to make him a top jumper.”
Thubiaan has four wins and three minor placings over jumps from nine starts.