Warrnambool

SHANE Jackson won his first stakes race as a trainer on Thursday taking out the A$300,000 Warrnambool Cup, his biggest win since retiring from jumps racing.

A winner of the 2020 Grand Annual Steeplechase on Ablaze, Jackson saddled up the Japanese-bred Mystery Island, a seven-year-old by Victoire Pisa who races in the colours of the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain.

“It’s unbelievable,” said the Co Wicklow 37-year-old. “What a horse. I said before he deserved to win a good race. I was very nervous with the ground, but Harry (Coffey) gave him a beautiful ride, he snuck up the fence when others were trying to get off. He brained them. It was super, it really was.”

PULVERISED to the tune of 37 lengths in Tuesday’s Brierley Steeplechase, the Symon Wilde-trained Count Zero put his last placing to Stern Idol behind him to win Thursday’s A$400,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase over Warrnambool’s iconic 5,500 metre, 33 fence, figure eight course.

In a field the 14, race favourite Rockstar Ronnie, the 2023 winner, set the tempo with Count Zero following his moves until chiming in after the clearing the Tozers Road double the second time.

Feeling the pinch of his 67.5 kgs, Rockstar Ronnie began to fade, leaving it to the Irish-bred Bell Ex One, runner-up in last year’s Grand National Steeple and Count Zero. The pair put up a superb battle down the straight, Count Zero home by a half-head, gifting jockey Darry Horner Jnr his first Grand Annual Steeplechase having stepped away from racing for 12 months.

Hammering nails

“I went off building for 12 months, but racing’s a bug and you can’t get rid of it,” said Horner. “Every time I knew the boys were out racing and I was hammering nails, it hurt. Eric Musgrove got me to come to my senses. Now I’ve won a Grand Annual and a Jericho, so I can’t believe it.”

Winning trainer Symon Wilde, a Warrnambool local, couldn’t hide his pleasure. “It’s a real passion, I love it,” he said. “It just showcases country grassroots racing so well and I can’t believe I’m in this position. I’m very fortunate.” Asked about the turn around in Count Zero’s form, he went around at 30/1, Wilde put it down to tactics.

“We had a bit to look though after the Brierly (on Tuesday), he just didn’t jump well,” said Wilde. “Darryl was terrific. He said, ‘Why don’t we put him up the front like usual, I’ll kick him hard out the gates’. He jumped beautifully today, with a better look at them.”