Hamilton Racing Club President Helen Sobey is hoping the Hamilton jumps meeting on Tuesday is the beginning of a renaissance of jumps racing at her club.
Sobey is thrilled that there are five jumps races consisting of three maiden hurdles, a Benchmark 114 hurdle and the feature event, the Eulong Cavdenish Steeplechase.
Sobey is hoping that Hamilton could work in with Warrnambool, Casterton and Coleraine as the home of jumps racing in the Western Districts.
For many years Hamilton was the lead-in meeting to Warrnambool in April with its Hamilton Cup meeting which would also contain a strong jumps program.
The Hamilton Cup though has been moved in recent years to October.
“When our Cup was moved we lost our good spot on the calendar in terms of being a lead-in to Warrnambool. Then I think last year we had one meeting where we had jumps racing,” Soeby said.
“This year we had two jumps races on April 11 which was good and I’m thrilled about hosting five jumps races on Tuesday.”
“It’s a strong jumps area in the south-west of the State and it’s a great area with our temperatures and our rainfall so the tracks never get too hard. It’s ideal for jumps racing.”
“We are talking to the Australian Jumps Racing Association about how they can work us into their jumps circuit especially working in with Casterton and Coleraine,” Sobey said.
Promising jumps jockey Ronan Short will be busy with four rides in the jumps races at the meeting which are Mick ‘N’ Me,Holburt, Anything But and American In Paris.
The former Irish jockey is hoping for a big day as he rides two favourites which are Holburt in Finchetts Maiden Hurdle and American In Paris in the feature event the Eulong Cavendish Steeplechase.
American In Paris is trained by Symon Wilde who Short works for at Warrnambool.
Short, moved to Australia three years ago after trying his luck in Ireland and then England and he’s been with Wilde for the past two and a half years.
Short said American In Paris is a promising jumper who hasn’t had a lot of luck recently.
Short has ridden American In Paris in his five jumps races.
At his last start American In Paris made his fencing debut when he finished third in the Dunroe Steeplechase at Warrnambool to Michelin.
“He’s got strong form going into the race from his Dunroe placing. He’s a very solid jumper who had no problems adjusting to the fences last start,” Short said.
Short said he and another of Wilde’s team Baillie Keast had spent a lot of time schooling American In Paris.
Short said he loved being part of Wilde's team with its mixture of exciting flat horses and jumpers.
