Lord Of The Song was switched from Patrick Payne's stable after this year’s Brierly Steeplechase to Warrnambool trainer Jarrod McLean’s yard.

McLean said the 11-year-old was in top shape as he prepares to run in next year’s Oakbank Great Eastern Steeplechase and the Warrnambool Grand Annual.

“Lord Of The Song is going really well,” he  said.

“I aim to start him on the flat at the Woodford meeting later this month and then give him two flat runs in January and another two in February before having him ready for the first jumps trial in March.

“We’ll take him over to Oakbank for Easter to run in the Von Doussa and the Great Eastern before tackling the Grand Annual in May.”

McLean, who is also the stable foreman for Darren Weir's Warrnambool satellite stable, said Lord Of The Song had been a great pick up.

“Lord Of The Song’s record speaks for itself,” McLean said.

“He's a quality jumper who handles all types of conditions.

“I would say at this stage my brother Brad will ride him in the early jump features.

“I've also got Wee Frankie in the stable.

“We’ll run him at Woodford and then get him ready for the early jumps races.

“Gold Spur, who showed good jumping ability last season, will be set for jumps races later in 2017.”

Lord Of The Song has won more than $550,000 in stakemoney over the jumps.

Meanwhile, McLean said that Stratum Star had stamped himself as a genuine stallion prospect after his narrow win in the group 1 $1 million Kingston Town Classic at Ascot on Saturday. “Stratum Star has done all his work at Warrnambool,” he said.

“It was great he won the Kingston Town. It was a 1800m race and backs up his other group 1 victory in the Rupert Clarke, which is over 1400m. He's a well credentialed stallion now.”

Stratum Star took his stake earnings to more than $1.6 million with the victory.

WINSLOW-RAISED trainer Ciaron Maher admits life has been pretty hectic since Jameka won the Caulfield Cup. The former Emmanuel College student says things will remain that way for another few weeks.

“It's been an extremely busy time,” Maher said.

“I've been over to New Zealand visiting studs and purchased a couple of yearlings at the Ready To Run sales, and then I came back and went to studs in NSW and Victoria looking at yearlings which will be sold in the New Year.

“I would say we’ll be purchasing yearlings at all the major sales. I'll head over to Hong Kong later this week for the international races before going to Japan to visit the Northern Farm operation.”

Maher has stables at Caulfield and Pakenham and also uses training facilities in Warrnambool.

AARON Purcell has decided to give his promising mare Written Era a spell. From her last five starts, Written Era notched up four wins.

“We've just decided to give her a break,” the Warrnambool-based trainer said.

“She's a very good mare. I think she’ll come back an even better.”

Written Era has won more than $60,000 in stakemoney from her eight race starts.

FORMER Warrnambool jockey Alan Creighton pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge after his ride on Candeo  at Sale on Sunday.

The charge related to an incident near the 1200m mark. Creighton let Candeo shift in when not sufficiently clear of Magnyte, resulting in that mare being carried in across the running of Caruselle which had to be checked to avoid heels. It also caused tightening to Thetford Road and Gonstead, which were racing to Caruselle’s inside.

Creighton’s suspension started at midnight December 6 and ends midnight December 16.

Stewards took into account his guilty plea, that the carelessness qualified for the lower end of the high range, and his record in this area.

JUMPS racing in South Australia has been granted a three-year reprieve thanks to a parliamentary committee recommendation.

A five-member panel of MPs made the recommendation in a report tabled in SA's parliament last Wednesday.

But the sport's ongoing future depends on the industry's ability to lessen the danger to horses competing in hurdle and steeplechase races.

"The committee found that jumps racing in SA should not be banned, but that its continuation should be conditional on the industry meeting the broad areas for improvement outlined in the recommendations, over the next three years," the report read.

"It is clear to the committee that jumps racing presents a greater risk of injury or fatality to horses and jockeys than flat racing, with steeplechase races presenting the greatest risk.

"It is, however, also evident that the implementation of several measures since 2010 has made the sport safer, as evidenced by a reduction in horse fatalities in our state in recent seasons."

The committee made 28 recommendations after working through more than 1800 submissions from those for and against jumps racing and attending meetings in both Victoria and South Australia.