Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Young reinsman Stuart McDonald had to revise his plans with star pacer Jumpingjackmac in the 2536m Budget Stockfeeds In Oakford Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr instructed him to delay his challenge to the hot favourite Steel The Show.
It proved to be sound advice from the master, with McDonald obeying instructions to drive Jumpingjackmac, the $3.20 second fancy, to a decisive victory over the frontrunning Steel The Show, the $1.32 favourite.
“Jumpingjackmac (barrier two) has good gate speed, but I thought there was no chance of challenging Steel The Show (barrier one) and getting to the front,” said McDonald.
“I was planning to sit behind Steel the Show before getting off the pegs 1200 metres from home. But Senior didn’t want me to be the first to go at the 1200m.
“So, I was happy to take the sit and delay my challenge. The only worry was that I could be held up and unable to get into the clear.”
When Lindsay Harper dashed forward from the rear at the 1200m with $34 chance While They Pray to move to the breeze Jumpingjackmac was then in a pocket behind the leader.
Jumpingjackmac was badly blocked for a run until While They Pray began to wilt with 220m to travel. McDonald then was able to ease Jumpingjackmac off the pegs and the six-year-old sprinted fast to burst to the front 70m from the post and went on to beat Steel the Show by just under a length, rating 1.58.7 over the 2536m, with the final 400m sections being run in 28.6sec. and 27.4sec.
“Jumpingjackmac is in the zone and the way he is going I don’t think there was any way he wouldn’t win was unless I over-drove him,” said McDonald. “Once he saw daylight he took off and sprinted fast. I pulled the plugs half-way down the home straight, just to make sure, but I didn’t need to.”
Jumpingjackmac now has amassed $868,792 in prizemoney from 19 wins and 21 placings from 63 starts.