Hit The Road Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) has made an outstanding impression since he crossed the Tasman and further lucrative flat and jumping options await the versatile performer.
The son of Jakkalberry won seven races for Cambridge trainer and part-owner Shaun Phelan before he joined Symon Wilde’s Warrnambool stable, and the recent move has already paid off in spades.
Hit The Road Jack made a successful hurdling debut earlier this month on his new home turf before he won last Saturday’s Flemington Cup (2800m) to take his Australian earnings to nearly A$120,000.
“They’re looking at a hurdle race at Sandown on Sunday week and then there’s a decent hurdle race at Ballarat on August 25,” Phelan said.
“If the wet weather stays around there’s also another race at Flemington over 2500m on Saturday week.
“That’s the beauty of it over there, you can nominate for plenty of places and then work out where you want to be, there are so many options.
“It’s been a big thrill for us, especially to win a race at Flemington.”
On the home front on Saturday, Phelan will make a two-pronged attack on the Callinan Family Taumarunui RSA Gold Cup (2200m) at Te Rapa with defending champion Enchanted Elle (NZ) (Jakkalberry) and Pacheco (NZ) (Makfi).
To be ridden by Niranjan Parmar, Enchanted Elle’s recent form has been mixed, but Phelan believes she has turned the corner.
“We’ve had a couple of little foot issues with her, but she is very well at the moment,” he said.
“We had been behind the eight ball a bit and in the last couple of weeks she has been peaking so we’re a bit confident with her if she gets the right run.”
She is a younger sister to Hit The Road Jack and is destined to also embark on a hurdling career.
“She was going to go around at the jumping trials last Monday, but they were cancelled. That was going to be her hit-out for Saturday,” Phelan said.
“She has done plenty of jumping though and will end up like her brother soon.”
Stablemate Pacheco has been bouncing between the two roles with the son of Makfi unbeaten in two hurdle starts at Te Rapa.
“He is flying and the jumping has really brought him on,” Phelan said.
“His run on the flat (fourth) at Ruakaka in between his jumps win wasn’t too bad at all either.
“He has drawn well on Saturday (gate three) and I think he will be a decent chance as well.”
Pacheco is in tip-top condition and will be ridden on Saturday by Courtney Barnes.
“We’ve kept him fresh and after his last hurdle win, he had a quiet week and he’s really enjoying himself,” Phelan said. “He had a gallop during the week and wouldn’t have blown a match out, so he’s in a very happy place at the moment.”
