Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star New Zealand-bred five-year-old Jumpingjackmac bounced back to his best form and ended a losing sequence of 19 when Stuart McDonald drove him to an emphatic victory in the $1000,000 James Brennan Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jumpingjackmac, the $2.40 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, defied early challenges for the lead before he set a solid pace and won by a neck from his stablemate Diego ($14), rating 1.56.4 over the 2536m, with final 400m sections of 27.7sec. and 28.5sec.
This gave master trainer Gary Hall Snr a quinella result and his fourth success in the Brennan Memorial, with the 28-year-old McDonald declaring that he would dearly love to win the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup on November 10 to turn the tables on Diego, who led and won the WA Pacing Cup by a half-length from the fast-finishing Jumpingjackmac last January.
“I’m looking forward very much to driving Jumpingjackmac in the Cup next month, and hopefully he can go one better this time,” said McDonald.
Jumpingjackmac made every post a winner after starting from the coveted No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s Group 2 feature event. This was the sixth time that Jumpingjackmac had started from barrier one at Gloucester Park, for four wins, one second and one fifth placing.
“Jumpingjackmac has good gate speed, and I wasn’t too concerned when Steel The Show ($4.20) came out,” McDonald said. “I thought we could hold him, and we were also able to hold out Pinny Tiger ($19).
“After the early burn I was able to get away with a comfortable time in front. When Diego got out (from behind the pacemaker) and started coming, Jumpingjackmac kicked and won well.”
Tenzing Bromac ($9.50) raced wide early and then enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing solidly to be third, ahead of his stablemates Galactic Star ($101 in fourth place) and Steel The Show in fifth place.
Co-trainer Greg Bond said that he was happy with the runs of the stable’s six runners in the race and said that they would be nominated for the $100,000 Stratton Cup over 2130m next Friday week.
Jumpingjackmac, who is by Mach Three, is out of the Bettors Delight mare Jumpforjoy, who raced 21 times for seven wins, seven placings and stakes of $94,654. Her major success was in the Group 2 Southland Oaks at Invercargill in April 2011, and two starts after that she finished third behind Carabella in the Group 1 Diamond at Ashburton.