WARRNAMBOOL-trained Instigator won his first Australian start for Aaron Purcell scoring an impressive victory in the $125,000 J.J. Houlahan Hurdle at Ballarat on Sunday.
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Having his third jumps start Instigator with Lee Horner in the saddle beat Saunter Boy by 16 lengths with Sollevare back in third place in the jumps feature.
Purcell said the long-term aim for the seven-year-old is next year's Galleywood Hurdle at the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival.
"Instigator has been a very frustrating horse on the flat but he looks like he may have found his niche as a jumps horse," Purcell said.
"He's shown us a bit of ability over the jumps running second at his previous two jumps starts.
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"The Galleywood Hurdle is a long way off but it looks the obvious jumps race for him.
"We'll give him a good break and work towards the Galleywood.
"I was a bit concerned when he hit the front so early in the Houlahan but Lee had it all sorted out.
"It was a top ride by him."
Horner said Instigator will be improved on the back of three jumps races in this campaign.
"He's got bags of ability but he just doesn't know what to do with it," Horner said.
"He wandered down the straight like a drunken sailor."
Meanwhile, Ablaze failed in his attempt to create jumps history when he ran a gallant second behind Bee Tee Junior in the Grand National Steeplechase.
The Ciaron Maher - David Eustace trained Ablaze won the Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase and the Grand National Hurdle this season.
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