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The JJ Houlahan Jumps Championship moves to Bendigo on Sunday with the running of the $100,000 Mosstrooper Steeplechase and $100,000 Brendan Drechsler Hurdle.
The 13 nominations for the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle include the last start Australian Hurdle hero Gotta Take Care, trained by Darren Weir.
Stand To Gain from the Bob Challis yard, third to Gotta Take Care in the Australian Hurdle at
Sandown, is also nominated.The 2012 Australian Hurdle winner Kirribilli Gold is the sole entry from Robert Smerdon’s Aquanita stable at Caulfield.
Kirribilli Gold is yet to race over the hurdles this preparation. The mare also holds a nomination for the Mosstrooper Steeplechase.
The powerful Eric Musgrove yard has nominated a trio for the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle, led by promising six-year-old Zabeel gelding Urban Explorer, a winner of his past two starts over the obstacles.
Musgrove’s team is made up of Earthbound and Take Out.
The Mosstrooper Steeplechase received six nominations, including the undisputed heavyweight champion of the big fences, the 10-year-old Bashboy.
The 2013 Mosstrooper Steeplechase winner has demonstrated excellent flat form this campaign that belies his age.
His trainer Ciaran Maher has also nominated his developing jumping prospect Regina Coeli and Darren Weir has Maythehorsebemagic nominated with the nine-year-old switching to the feature steeplechase following a disappointing fourth in the Australian Hurdle behind Gotta Take Care.
Sunday’s third jumps event, a $20,000 Maiden Hurdle over 3200m has received 15 nominations, with a number of well performed flat gallopers set to tackle the jumps for the first time.
They include the highly credentialed Moudre from the Ciaron Maher stable, a winner of over $600,000 on the flat, and the classy David Hayes trained pair Spacecraft and Whisper Downs.
