Straight Jacket was a short-priced favourite in the 2015 Penshurst Cup, but finished more than five lengths behind Treasure Map. 

Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde said this year’s cup was an ideal race for the seven-year-old.

“He was a short-priced favourite back on Boxing Day in  2015 and was very disappointing on the back of an excellent run in town,” Wilde said.

“We were left gobsmacked after that failure. I thought his win was very good on the back of an excellent ride by Declan Bates. It was a big effort as it’s a four-hour trip to Bordertown. He appears to have pulled up well, so it’s onwards and upwards to Penshurst.”

Wilde, who has stables at Warrnambool and Ballarat, was prepared to forget Straight Jacket’s poor run in the Dunkeld Cup at his previous start in November before the Bordertown victory.

“We just had to forget Straight Jacket’s Dunkeld Cup run,” he said. “The wide barrier ruined his chances at Dunkeld. He had to be used up and had nothing left at the end of the race. It was different at Bordertown, Declan got him into a nice spot on the pace and he went through the lines hard.”

The Penshurst Cup carries a special place in Wilde’s heart as he and his dad Bill won the race four times when they were in a training partnership.

The Launceston and Hobart cups could be on the agenda for Dodging Bullets in the New Year after his sixth placing in the $100,000 Werribee Cup on Sunday.

Wilde instructed jockey Daniel Moor to drop Dodging Bullets back at the start in the Werribee Cup before finishing the race off strongly.

“I’m keeping my options open with Dodging Bullets,” he said.

“I thought it was a really good run at Werribee. I’ll see how he pulls up over the next few days before we make any final decisions with him.

“The other option is to send him to the paddock for a well deserved break.”

Dodging Bullets has won six races from his 25 starts.

AARON Purcell is gearing up a strong two-pronged attack at the 2018 jumping features with comeback jumper King Of Dudes and Two Hats.

King Of Dudes has had 69 weeks away from the track after injuring his near-front tendon. But the nine-year-old has returned to the stables in great shape, according to Purcell.

“We’ve given King Of Dudes a really good break,” he said. “He had a year in the paddock. It was a minor tendon injury we decided to give him a really good break, because we’ve got a big opinion of him as a jumper. He won the 2015 Grand National Hurdle.

“He’s been back in the stable for about a month and is going well. We’re just taking him along slowly.”

Two Hats has won three of his five jumps starts, including this year’s  Jim Houlihan Hurdle and a second placing in the Grand National Hurdle.

Purcell believes the lightly raced jumper is up to the top-notch jumpers.

“I rate Two Hats very highly as a jumper,” he said.

“He’s ready to take on all the top jumpers and I’m sure he will be very competitive in those races.”

The weather will play a major role into when both jumpers make a return to racing.

“We’re in no hurry to get them back,” Purcell said.

“We will be dictated by the weather; if we get an early break we may look at the jumps races at the Warrnambool May Carnival, but if that’s not there we’ll just hold back for a few weeks.”

O’Ceirns Secret is another jumper Purcell is hoping will progress through the grades.

A COMMUNITY after-party and shuttle buses from Warrnambool and Colac will help racegoers celebrate 150 years of racing at Camperdown next month.

The 2018 Camperdown Cup will be run on January 20 and the Camperdown Turf Club is busy making sure the sesquicentennial will be a day to remember.

The state government has provided $30,000 through its Raceday Attraction Program.

Club president Laurie Hickey said it was excited by the support from Racing Minister Martin Pakula, with the government for recognising the milestone event.

Hickey said the  after-party would commence after the last race, with live music and the bar continuing through until 8pm. “We think this will be a huge success, with people able to kick on with their celebrations at the end of the race meeting. It will also provide an opportunity for people involved in the horse racing to enjoy themselves once they’ve finished their respective duties,” he said.

“Camperdown is increasingly becoming one of those destination race meetings that people from outside the immediate community want to come to. We’re thrilled that the funding will help us provide $5 shuttle services from Warrnambool and Colac.”

TALENTED jockey Chelsea Hall will be on the sidelines until December 19 after pleading guilty to a careless riding charge at Tatura on Sunday.

Stewards deemed the incident to be in the low range and took account Hall’s guilty plea, record and the racing manners of all horses involved in the incident.