Ill-fated Novara Park stallion Jakklaberry was represented by a strong winner at Geelong on Friday when the Matt Cumani-trained Gelignite Jack saluted at his second race day start.
The two-year-old colt showed good improvement from his fourth placing on debut to score over 1300m and looks like he will be suited over further ground like his breeding would suggest.
Ridden by Dean Holland, Gelignite Jack trailed the leaders throughout and was solid to the line.
“Dean did an excellent job, he put him in the right spot and it all went to plan,” stable representative Andrew Bobbin said
“I think once he lengthened in the straight, you could see that he’s still got plenty of learning to do. He’s still learning his craft and he will come on a lot from that.”
Bobbin indicated that Gelignite Jack is likely to step up in distance to 1600m next start.
“He’s a really nice horse,” winning jockey Dean Holland said.
“First start he probably got a bit excited and went off in the barriers a little bit and just didn’t handle the track at all.
“Matt has done a great job tipping the horse out and giving him a bit of time and brought him to the races spot on today.
“He still hit a flat-spot at the top of the straight, as in raw, but he went through the line really strong and there is plenty of improvement there.
“It’s good to win with them early and they gain that experience and learn to be a racehorse and win. There will be still be a lot of improvement over ground and with maturity, so he is headed in the right direction.”
Selected by bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo, Gelignite Jack was a $90,000 purchase at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales from the draft of Novara Park.
A Group One-winning son of Storming Home, Jakkalberry retired to stud in 2014 but died suddenly from a bout of colic earlier this year.
Progeny of the Italian Derby winner and Melbourne Cup placegetter have made a good impressions, with his eldest just two.
“We’ve got two by Jakklaberry in the stable,” Bobbin said.
“We had a filly by the name of Pressure who ran on Sunday and was very unlucky at Pakenham. She has shown a lot of promise and obviously Gelignite Jack is doing everything right, so the two we’ve got we are very happy with.”
Meanwhile, Luigi Muollo’s boutique Cambridge operation Novara Park enjoyed further good news when farm graduate Pick Number One was named Champion Griffin in Hong Kong.
A son of Darci Brahma who was bred by Muollo’s Explosive Breeding Ltd, Pick Number One began his Hong Kong racing career this season with five impressive wins from seven starts and more than HK$4.74 million (NZ$890,000) in stakes.
Trained by Danny Shum for owner Yo Mo Man, the three-year-old fell short of his $80,000 reserve in two trips through the Karaka sale ring in 2016 – the Premier Sale and the Ready to Run Sale. – NZ Racing Desk.
