“It’s always hard from nine, but Jumpingjackmac is jumping out of his skin and should be capable of overcoming the outside (No. 9) barrier and winning,” said champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr.
Jumpingjackmac, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will clash with some smart three-year-olds in the 2130m Worldwide Printing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This will be Jumpingjackmac’s final race before his much-anticipated clash with star colt Lavra Joe in the $200,000 Sky Channel WA Derby on Friday week.
Lavra Joe will also wind up his preparation for the WA Derby when he contests the $30,000 Country Derby at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Saturday night. The Ray Jones-trained colt to be driven by Chris Lewis from barrier No. 4 should prove too strong for his seven rivals who include Aiden de Campo’s promising Mach Three gelding Strike Team.
Hall jnr said he had not decided on his tactics with Jumpingjackmac on Friday night, saying: “I’ll probably decide after we get under way.”
Hall did not bustle Jumpingjackmac early from the No. 7 barrier last Friday night. The gelding settled in sixth position before Hall urged him forward, three wide, to burst to the front 650m after the start. Jumpingjackmac then relaxed in front before dashing over the final quarters in 28.3sec. and 27.4sec. and winning by just over seven lengths from Sugar Street, rating 1.55.7 over 2130m.
Otis, Dominus Factum and Aussie Scooter should be prominent and earn their place in the WA Derby field.
Hall jnr is also looking forward to driving five-year-old My Carbon Copy, who is favourably drawn at barrier two in the Intersport Slater Gartrell Pace over 2130m.
“He should win and I expect him to be my best drive of the night,” Hall said. “He started from the outside of the back line and made up a lot of ground, coming from tenth at the bell to be fifth behind Diego last Friday night.”
Hall has chosen to handle Nota Bene Denario in preference to Medieval Man in the Choices Flooring Handicap, a stand over 2096m. Nota Bene Denario, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will start from the inside of the 10m line, and the Michael Young-trained Medieval Man will start from the outside of the six-horse front line, with Emily Suvaljko in the sulky.
Hall drove Medieval Man when he set the pace and dashed over the final quarters in 27.8sec. and 27.9sec. and easily defeated Louie The Horse in a 2116m stand at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon. He drove Nota Bene Denario two starts ago when the former New Zealand performer made an auspicious Australian debut, setting the pace and winning a 2503m stand in easy fashion at Gloucester Park.
