Super jumper Sea King won the $100,000 Drechsler by more than one length, with Hornets’ Nest third place in the 3600-metre race.

Warrnambool trainer Aaron Purcell – who won the 2015 Grand National Hurdle with King Of Dudes – said Two Hats will appreciate the weight scale in the $200,000 National, to be run at Sandown on August 6.

“Two Hats has won two of his three hurdle starts and ran second behind a champion jumper in Sea King,” Purcell said.

“He will come in well on the weights for the National. I’m hoping we get a wet track for the National, as he’s a swimmer.

“The wetter the better. He bowed a tendon a couple of years ago, but is sound as a bell now after a strong preparation using the beach.

“We’ve had the National on our radar for his whole campaign.”

Two Hats picked up $20,000 in prizemoney with his second placing in the Drechsler.

SYMON Wilde is taking no risks with top jumper Gold Medals.

The seven-year-old was a surprise scratching on Sunday morning only hours before the $100,000 Mosstropper Steeplechase.

Wilde said he was not happy with Gold Medals’ action.

“I trotted him up and he was a bit scratchy, so I decided to scratch him,” the Warrnambool trainer said.

“We’ll push along towards the Crisp Steeplechase at Sandown on August 6; if Gold Medals is not right before the Crisp we will not run him.

“We’ll save him for the jumps races next season. He’s been a great horse for his connections winning more than $440,000 in stakes. He’s had a great campaign on the flat and over the jumps.”

Wilde revealed Floral Fever was heading to the spelling paddock after a poor run in a restricted race at Bendigo on Sunday.

“He has been disappointing at his last two starts,” Wilde said. 

“We’ll give him a break and get him ready for some races during the summer.”

Floral Fever has won six of his 21 starts.

KOROIT trainer James McNamara will use some of the prizemoney Hornets’ Nest earnt at Bendigo on Sunday to fix his float after he was involved in an accident with a kangaroo near Glenthompson on the way home.

Hornets’ Nest picked up $10,000 in stakemoney for his third placing in the Drechsler Hurdle.

McNamara said the kangaroo which got caught up between the float and car came out of nowhere.

“The accident happened so quick,” the Koroit milk bar owner said. “One minute there’s no kangaroo, the next it’s jumped between the float and car.

“There’s a bit of damage to the float but luckily none to the car. We’ll use some of the $10,000 prizemoney to pay for the damage.”

Hornets’ Nest will now be set for the $200,000 Grand National Hurdle to be run over 3900 metres at Sandown on August 6.

“It was a great run by him in the Drechsler,” McNamara said. “The Drechsler is a set weights plus penalties race while the Grand National is a handicap.

“We’ll be better suited in the Grand National.

“The weights will swing in our favour.

“He’s pulled up a great after the Drechsler. We’ll just keep ticking him over to the National.

“He does not need much work as he’s very fit.”

Hornets’ Nest took his stake earnings for his seven jumps starts to more than $105,000 with his third placing.

FORMER Western Australian galloper Cougar Express may be targeted towards next year’s Galleywood Hurdle at the Warrnambool May Carnival after running second at his jumping debut in a maiden hurdle at Bendigo.

Trainer Jarrod McLean said he was happy with the jumping debut of Cougar Express.

“He’s a lovely type of jumper,” McLean said.

“It was a very good field of maiden hurdlers.

“We will go easy with him for a week or two before planning his next jumps start.

“I reckon he’s an ideal type to run in the Galleywood Hurdle next year.”

Meanwhile, McLean said he will look for similar types of races for Del Piero after his unlucky run in a restricted race at Bendigo on Sunday.

“Del Piero just had no luck,” McLean said.

“He should have won but that’s racing. He’s a consistent horse but seems to find things that go wrong.”

Del Piero has won three of his 18 starts.

LINDA Meech pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge after her ride on Contilla at Bendigo on Sunday.

Stewards found that, near the finish line, Meech carelessly permitted Contilla to shift in when being ridden along when not clear of Del Piero, which had to be checked and lost its rightful running.

Her suspension started midnight July 24 and ends midnight August 3.

Stewards considered the incident to be in the mid-range and took into account her guilty plea.

ENTRIES have closed for the main catalogue in the Inglis Thoroughbred Sale on August 25.

The contains numerous well bred types. The supplementary section closes in three weeks.