Almanac Horseracing: Jumps Racing Preview – Ballarat, Sunday 6 April 2025

 

#AusJumpsRacingPreviews – Ballarat, 6 April 2025

 

Jumps racing heads to Ballarat today, for the second meeting of the season following Warrnambool a little over one week ago. This meeting has been transferred from Hamilton due to the track at Hamilton not being suitable for racing (particularly jumps racing) when inspected ten days ago.

 

As a jumps racing supporter, I’ve got to say the acceptance numbers for this meeting are disappointing, with not enough acceptors for an Open Hurdle and so there being only two jumps races on the program. In saying that though, the numbers for the jumps trials tomorrow at Ballarat are very good so hopefully we now start to see more starters in future jumps races this season, with the all jumps meeting at Pakenham on Sunday 13 April before we head back to Warrnambool at the end of this month for the famous three day “May Carnival”.

 

 

Race 1 – Henry Dwyer Racing Maiden Hurdle 3250m

 

A very tough race, with not a lot of jumps racing experience amongst the starters. As I said in my preview of the Warrnambool program last week I’m a believer that they have to be pretty smart to win at their first race start over jumps and whilst its fair to say there’s no Loft in this race I’m going with another horse having his first race start over jumps in 1 Bitcoin. He was around the mark in city flat races over 2500m and 3000m late last year and early this year when in the Lindsey Smith stable, before joining the Steven Pateman stable to obviously target jumps racing and has had to hurdle trials to prepare for this. He jumped well enough in his most recent trial when second over 2800m at Warrnambool and can win here.

 

Hardest to beat will be 6 Teewaters, who is also debuting here over jumps, and has solid flat form, but didn’t jump as well to my eye as Bitcoin in his most recent trial and was ridden out in that trial. Too offset that though he gets the 3kg claim here for rider, David Mulcahy. 4 Lord Goldberg for the Andrew Bobbin/Tom Ryan combination goes in for third. Lord Goldberg has had race experience over hurdles and if he could reproduce his May 2021 run when fourth to Out And Dreaming at his hurdling debut that would be good enough to win this. Both his hurdle race starts have been on Heavy tracks so better ground here may help.

 

3 Kailash would be the other runner I could entertain.

 

1 Bitcoin – 6 Teewaters – 4 Lod Goldberg

 

 

Race 2 – E-Cycle Solutions Open Steeplechase 3250m

 

Was impressed with the steeplechase trial of 2 Leaderboard at Cranbourne on 13 March, as recorded in my review of those trials. He’s a hurdle and steeplechase winner and was a placegetter in both the Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase in 2024. For mine he’s the one to beat and the hardest to beat will be one-time potential Melbourne Cup runner, 6 Schabau, who was a Maiden Hurdle winner in 2024 and makes his steeplechase racing debut here. He trialed over the bigger jumps at Warrnambool when given a relatively quiet time of it behind stablemate Duke Of Bedford and Tom Foolery who fought out the steeplechase at Warrnambool a little over one week ago.

 

5 Bazini is a solid stayer and a Maiden Hurdle winner making his steeplechase racing debut here and being from the strong Symon Wilde jumping stable wouldn’t surprise. He’s had three steeplechase trials to prepare for this.

 

2 Leaderboard – 6 Schabau – 5 Bazini

 

 

Good luck everybody.

 

Gamble Responsibly. Chances are you’re about to lose.

 

 

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