Shane Jackson unsure what to expect from Grand Promenade at The Valley
Shane Jackson is unsure what to expect with Grand Promenade this Saturday but the Warrnambool horseman is just happy to be heading to the races with the gelding.
The eight-year-old will resume his racing career in the $130,000 Ladbroke It BM100 Handicap over 2040 metres at The Valley.
The son of Champs Elysees was once one of Australia’s most promising stayers, when in the care of original trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, who prepared him to finish sixth in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, but he hasn’t raced since finishing down the track in this year’s Adelaide Cup.
That was thought to be the end of his career, but a conversation with Jackson prompted managing owner Gerry Ryan to test him as a jumper.
“Gerry asked me if I thought he’d be a good one for the job and I thought he’d fit the bill perfectly,” Jackson said.
“As I said to him, it might just spark him up a bit on the flat. Horses like him, they’re more happy in work than they are in retirement, so he was a lovely one to get.
“I’m not under any illusions that I’m going to be improve one from Ciaron Maher, but if we could just get him going somewhat as well as what he used to go he might make a beautiful hurdler for next year.
“I’ve been jumping him quite a bit and he loves it.”
Although eight, Grand Promenade has had just 28 starts with a win in the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) the best of his eight wins.
He had his first jumpout for Jackson at Camperdown in late October, finishing sixth of seven over 850m, before a second placing and a win in 1400m hitouts at Camperdown and Penshurst during November.
Grand Promenade will carry 60kg on Saturday, 1kg less than this year’s Group 1 South Australian Derby winner and short-priced favourite Dunkel, but the success of Saturday’s operation will not be measured by victory.
“He’s been off the scene for a while, so he has to get the blood up and get the competitiveness going, so it’d just be nice to see him hitting the line and wanting to be there really,” Jackson said.
“If he goes really well, you’d pick out some nice flat races, but if he’s a bit below-par we’ll just count down our time to the hurdle trials and get him qualified for the early season.”
Harry Coffey will take the ride aboard Grand Promenade with the pair to jump from barrier four in the field of seven.
More Racing News
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Improving trio to fly flag for Godolphin at Kembla Grange
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest benchmark...
Jason Collett hoping to find Express lane in The Gong
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing pattern...
Mark Walker aims for ‘new’ hometown Cranbourne Cup
Trainer Mark Walker has a good record when in form New Zealand gallopers land in Australia. Walker’s latest ‘import’ is It’s A Wild Night who will have his first Australian outing in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday. It’s A Wild Night arrived at Walker’s Cranbourne base just over a week ago...
Trainer Gavin Bedggood chasing Fortune in The Meteorite
Gavin Bedggood hopes the decision to take Oscar’s Fortune to Cranbourne for a midweek gallop will pay off handsomely on Saturday. Oscar’s Fortune runs in the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m), a new ‘slot race’ that Southside Racing, a merged entity of the Cranbourne and Pakenham Clubs, runs for the first time. The former...
Railway Stakes 2024 timing perfect for Baker’s Bel
In-form mare Belclare will need to overcome a wide alley to land her first Australian Group One win in the Railway Stakes at Ascot, and connections believe Nash Rawiller is the perfect man for the job. A two-time victor at the highest level in New Zealand, Belclare joined the Sydney stable of Bjorn...
John Stewart eyes Melbourne with 2024 Japan Cup fancy
Goliath faces one of the toughest tasks in racing this weekend, beating the Japanese at home in their biggest race, but John Stewart is already planning his next moves with his star recruit and Australia is on the itinerary. The ambitious American has quickly become a powerful investor in Australian racing and...
Hedged poised to give The Warra rivals a trim-up
The Magic Millions carnival is the campaign focal point for promising sprinter Hedged, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping he can knock off a feature race along the way. The gelding will resume in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, his first start...