NOBLET DREAMING OF A GALLEYWOOD VICTORY

Michael Manley

Ballarat trainer Andrew Noblet is amazed by how far his exciting young hurdling prospect Out And Dreaming has come in just over a year of jumps racing.

Noblet is hoping that Out And Dreaming can claim the $175,000 Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool on Wednesday and dethrone the horse he regards as the nominal best hurdler in racing, the Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace trained Saunter Boy.

Noblet is confident there will again be little between the pair as there was at their last meeting in the M.J. Bourke Hurdle at Pakenham on Easter Monday.

Noblet said if Out And Dreaming hadn’t made a faulty jump at the second last hurdle he may have beaten Saunter Boy at his last start.

“If he jumps cleanly though he probably had his chance to beat him the other day but he mucked up that second last jump probably cost him in the end,” Noblet said.

Out And Dreaming was in front going to the second last but after that jump Saunter Boy had cleared away to lead by over a length. Out And Dreaming rallied on his inside and was beaten by a head.

“Saunter Boy’s going to be hard to beat again. We will be there fighting – he’s probably the best hurdler so he’s the horse to beat,” Noblet said.

“He’s trained on well since. It’s a similar race to the last start so he should be a good chance.”

Out And Dreaming will meet Saunter Boy a kilogram worse for their last start defeat.

Out And Dreaming has had six starts over jumps for three wins, including two wins at Warrnambool and at Sandown.

He also finished fourth behind Saunter Boy in the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle in July which completed his first season as a jumper.

This year Noblet gave him three flat runs, which produced wins at his first two runs back in Benchmark 58s at Kyneton and Terang before he finished sixth at Moonee Valley and then second at Pakenham on Easter Monday.

Out And Dreaming is the Group One winning trainer’s first jumper and he’s been amazed by his progress.

He only turned to schooling him as he was struggling on the flat but Noblet and his regular jockey Lee Horner soon realised they had a decent hurdle prospect

Out And Dreaming is a lightly raced five-year-old who has had only 23 starts.

Noblet said as Out And Dreaming had shown improvement in his second year as a jumper.

“He jumped well last year but he’s a lot better this time around. The main reason we took him jumping was to turn his flat form around and he was so good at it.”

Noblet said Out And Dreaming could handle a wet track but couldn’t cope with “a Heavy 15 track” as he did when he failed in the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle.