Trainer Shane Jackson says his first Grand National Hurdle success as a trainer was “ten times” more exciting than his two victories in the race as a jockey.
Highland Blaze made every post a winner to claim Sunday’s Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown, marking Jackson’s second major hurdle victory of the season.
Jackson, who previously won the race aboard Cougar Express in 2018 and Ablaze in 2020, admitted he was more nervous as a trainer.
“I won two of these as a rider, but I was never as nervous and didn’t get as much of a kick afterwards,” Jackson said with his wife Lauren and children by his side.
Under Jordan Hart, Highland Blaze romped to a five-length win over defending champion Affluential, with Right Now close behind in third.
The gelding joined Jackson’s stable after former trainer Jackson Pallot retired from training in Bairnsdale.
Highland Blaze had his first run for Jackson in the Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool last December before embarking on a jumps career.
“What a horse,” Jackson said.
“He’s been in work for I don’t know how long.
“He came to me before the Jericho Cup last year, he had two weeks off after the Jericho and he’s just done everything we’ve asked of him.
“He’s been across to Adelaide and back and he just gives his all every time he comes to the races.
“It’s brilliant for the jockey. Here is a kid that claims three kilos, he ridden only a couple of winners and he’s ridden him like a true professional.”
Jackson said Hart was left to ride the horse on instinct, and it paid off.
“These young jockeys don’t pin them down with too many instructions because they over complicate things,” Jackson said.
“I said ‘just let the horse do the talking’. The horse took him there early, he didn’t interfere with him, he was happy, and that was the winning of the race.
“The one time I gave him instructions, was the one time he was beaten, and I probably gave him too many instructions.
“It was a perfect ride and what a beauty of a ride.”
Jackson is confident Highland Blaze can stay up to 5000m and may develop into a Grand Annual Steeplechase horse “if he can jump a fence”.
The gelding will skip Ballarat’s final jumps meeting on August 17 to prepare for another shot at the Jericho Cup later this year.
“He can go to the paddock for a little while and we’ll go back to the Jericho with a different horse,” Jackson said.
“He wasn’t with me long enough before the Jericho last year.
“He’s a bit of a sook and it takes him a while to get into his routine, so a freshen up now and he’s already got enough points to go to the Jericho.
“So, we’ll aim for that.”
Prismatic, who crossed the line in fifth, was ruled a non-starter after stewards found he had run inside markers due to pressure from other runners.
Anyone looking to back Highland Blaze in future features like the Grand National Hurdle or Jericho Cup can find the best odds at Australia’s leading betting sites.
