Dermot Weld and Willie Mullins are two Irish trainers who’ve both experienced the highs and lows of sending hurdlers to contest the Melbourne Cup. Weld famously succeeded with Vintage Crop, while Mullins has campaigned the likes of Vauban and Absurde in recent years.
Now, Shane Jackson, an Irish-born horseman based in Warrnambool, has aspirations of his own for the famous two-mile race. His emerging jumper Loft, who won twice over hurdles at Warrnambool, is set to resume on the flat in Sunday’s Sandown Cup (3200m) before a possible Brisbane trip for the Brisbane Cup (3200m) on June 14.
Loft was once favourite for the 2022 Melbourne Cup but suffered a setback just before the race. Since switching to Jackson’s stable, he has shown renewed promise, including a bold fourth in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes despite a luckless run.
“He could go to a jumps race at Sandown on Sunday and win, which would be fantastic, but his main aim over jumps this season is the Grand National Hurdle,” Jackson said.
“If he hadn’t of shown the spark he did at Flemington in the Andrew Ramsden, we would have resigned to the fact he was going to be a hurdler.
“But his run in the Andrew Ramsden was massive and arguably if the race had panned out a little better for him, he could have gone close and then we would have been dreaming big.
“I don’t think his flat days are done by any means and I think he can mix codes.”
Weather will determine whether Loft lines up this weekend. Jackson said he’ll skip the race if the ground is too firm, having learned from the horse’s below-par Ballarat Cup effort last year.
Should Loft impress, he’ll be flown to Queensland early to prepare for the Brisbane Cup, but only if the forecast is favourable. “If it looks like it will be wet, I can send him, but if it’s going to be dry, I don’t want to send him up not to have a run,” Jackson said.
Noonday Gun and Highland Blaze are Jackson’s other key runners in Sunday’s jumping features, including the Australian Hurdle.
“Noonday Gun will run in the benchmark 120 hurdle and after that he will likely get swapped to go steeplechasing with the Grand National in mind and Highland Blaze will go to the Australian Hurdle because he is crying out for the 3900 metres,” he said.
“He’s done no wrong, he’s been brilliant for us, and his aim will also be the Grand National Hurdle then have a little freshen up and have a crack at the Jericho Cup in December.”
Fans and punters keen to follow these staying prospects should check out the leading online betting sites for the best promotions, mobile apps, and odds on Australia’s premier distance races.
