Jake clowns around but best still to come
CASINO Jake is still “just a baby” gelding who likes to clown around.
The three-year-old’s trainer Dick Leech is hoping his dramatic first win – at Fannie Bay yesterday – will fast track his maturation process.
It was a tense finish in race one, the Betfair Better Value Handicap (1300m), with Stephen Ridler guiding the young sprinter home by a nose over Philip Cole’s Moussambani.
That was after Kim Gladwin started hard on Mighty Tax, leading by six lengths before slowing down in the maiden with 250m to go.
“It was a boat race. It was pretty ordinary. But he’s (Jake) only a baby and the penny has got to drop,” Leech said.
“Let’s hope now that it does drop. He needs more distance.
“Even in the (starting) boxes anything sets him off – he’s just a clown.”
It was the winning horse’s sixth run for Leech.
“I bought him as a yearling. I might give him one more race and then he can have a spell,” he said.
Ridler always thought he was a chance of pegging back Gladwin’s big lead.
“Gladdy got going on his horse. He got out pretty hard and I knew he’d weaken and he (Casino Jake) picked him up,” Ridler said.
“It was his first time over 1300m. He’s been finishing out the back in the shorter races. His work the other morning wasn’t too bad. It was probably the best he’s worked. “But he needs a bit of time.” Other winners yesterday included the Gary Clarketrained Woogie (Brendon Davis) by a comprehensive five lengths in the CrownBet Handicap (1200m) from I’m A Soldier and Set For a Bumdle.
The Jason Manningtrained King Dejour (Vanessa Arnott) triumphed in the Betfair Exchange Average Handicap (1200m) from Zocalos and Orion.
Kiss The Condor (Brendon Davis), from the highly successful Clarke stable, won the Betfair Exchange Handicap (1100m) from Dublin Lad and The Soothsayer. In the final race on the five-event program, it was the Tayarn Halter-trained Bridgey Flyer (Simone Altieri) who prevailed in the BetSmart With Betfair Handicap (1600m) from Ville De Berne and Mirka.
The next race meeting at Fannie Bay takes place on Melbourne Cup Day – Tuesday, November 1.