Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
In-form reinsman Stuart McDonald defied the instructions of Hall Of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr when he caused an upset by driving Jumpingjackmac to a surprise victory over his glamorous and much better fancied rivals Lavra Joe and Never Ending in the $31,000 Catalano Truck And Equipmemt Sales Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Senior told me to just let Jumpingjackmac flop out of the gate (from barrier six) and then go to the breeze and hopefully get the one-out, one-back trail if Never Ending went to the breeze,” said the 30-year-old McDonald.
“In the warm-up I didn’t like that idea, and I decided to put all the eggs in one basket by trying to dash out and get across to lead.
“Jumpingjackmac is very quick to begin on his night, but I haven’t had the chance to do it this time in. I tried it in the Pacing Cup, but he didn’t get out as good as he can. It probably was my fault. Once I got to the front tonight, I was confident Jumpingjackmac was going to be hard to run down.”
Lavra Joe, the $1.85 favourite, was expected to lead from the prized No. 1 barrier, but he was beaten for early speed by Jumpingjackmac, and he settled down behind the pacemaker, with the $2.15 second favourite Never Ending, driven by Gary Hall Jnr, being restrained back to last after starting from the outside in the field of seven.
After moderate early times of a lead of 37.4sec. and opening quarters of 30.9sec. and 29.1sec. it was obvious that McDonald held all the aces with Jumpingjackmac and that his rivals were facing quite difficult tasks.
At the bell McDonald lifted the tempo and Jumpingjackmac sprinted over the final 400m sections in 27.4sec. and 28.1sec. to beat Lavra Joe by a neck, with Never Ending, sixth at the bell, finishing solidly into third place, a length behind Lavra Joe.
“When I saw Never Ending pull out with 700m to go I had to dash away,” said McDonald. “I had to get away from Never Ending and make him work.”
Never Ending, having his first start for 13 weeks, ran a solid trial in preparation for the $200,000 Golden Nugget over 2536m next Friday night.
Trainer Justin Prentice said that Never Ending “went okay” and that the brilliant gelding would run in the Nugget providing he pulled up well after his sound first-up performance.
“Junior (Hall) said that Never Ending’s steering was not great again, and that he wanted to run in during the race,” said Prentice.
“Never Ending got used to Menangle (where he raced twice in August and September) and was running out. Now he is wanting to run in, like he used to before he left for Sydney.”
Six-year-old Jumpingjackmac will be set for the Nullarbor slot race on April 25 and the Fremantle Cup after that event. He finished fifth behind Catch A Wave in the 2024 Nullarbor last April.
McDonald said that Jumpingjackmac was an extremely versatile pacer. “He is one of the few horses these days, no matter where he draws, you know he is a danger if the race is run right,” said McDonald. “He doesn’t need to be on the rail or leading.”
The New Zealand-bred Jumpingjackmac now has raced 74 times for 21 wins, 26 placings and $947,871 in prizemoney. McDonald has driven him 38 times for seven wins, 12 seconds and three thirds.
He has finished second in six Group 1 events and has won three Group 2 features and two Group 3 events, and he is on track to become an equine millionaire without having been successful in a Group 1 event. One of his Group 2 victories was in the $100,000 Brennan Memorial in October 2023 when he defeated Diego and Tenzing Bromac.
Karloo Mick, who had 159 starts between 2003 and 2013 for 64 wins, 59 placings and stakes of $1,493,155, did not win a Group 1 event during his outstanding career.