TALENTED jumps jockey Darryl Horner junior rates his win on the John Sargent-trained Bastida as one of his career highlights in Sunday afternoon's $300,000 Jericho Cup at Warrnambool.
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Bastida was heavily backed to win the feature race on the nine-event program before defeating Botti by nearly two lengths with Epizeel back in third place to take out the fifth running of the 4652 metre race.
Horner, who had a three year stint in Warrnambool six years ago said it was one of his career highlights to win the event in front of a huge crowd.
"This ranks right up there as one of my highlights," Horner told The Standard. "It's up there with my win on Flying Agent in the 2021 Brierly Steeplechase.
"I've been left Warrnambool for three years but it's just great to come back and ride another feature race winner. I've got to give credit to John Sargent. He produced Bastida in peak condition.
"It's a big training effort to think Bastida won at Canberra a fortnight ago and now he's in Warrnambool and won the longest flat race in Australia.
"I was travelling really well a long way out. I looked across at some of my rivals a few times and I thought I was bolting. I thought I was on the winner more then 400 metres out from home. My biggest concern was going for home too early. I just had to wait for the right time to kick for home."
One of the first to congratulate Horner following his memorable Jericho Cup victory on Sunday was former top jumps jockey Clayton Douglas.
Douglas won two Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechases on Gold Medals.
"I ride a lot of trackwork for Clayton and the Freedman stable at Mornington," he said. "They have been big supporters of mine over the last few years."
Stawell-trained There For You won the consultation race over 4065 metres which guarantees him a start at next year's Jericho Cup.
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