#AusJumpsRacingPreviews – Hamilton, Sunday 20 July 2025

 

 

Jumps racing returns to Hamilton on Sunday for the running of the Mosstrooper Steeplechase and Brendan Drechsler Hurdle, both over 3400m.

History has it that Mosstrooper was disappointing on the flat as a racehorse but whilst in a paddock while not racing he would jump six foot high fences of his own accord each night to come for his tucker when called. When he was then raced over jumps, he went on to win 11 races, including both the 1930 Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Steeplechase, and was placed on another 10 occasions in jumps races.

Brendan Drechsler was a long term Chairman of the Bendigo Jockey Club and a Country Racing Victoria Board Member. He was a passionate advocate for jumps racing and this hurdle race was named in his honour some years ago. Brendan Drechsler died in late May 2025.

This is the first year these two feature jumps races have been held at Hamilton after this all jumps meeting was transferred from Pakenham to Hamilton following the review conducted into jumps racing late last year. The track on Sunday will certainly be a proper heavy after the recent rain in Hamilton and that won’t worry the jumps racing fraternity one little bit. As I write this summary the track is rated a Heavy 10.

Race 1 – bet365 Maiden Hurdle 3200m @ 12.05pm

Eight acceptors here and the 1 Alhambra Palace looks like starting pretty short. He’s won and been placed over 2816m overseas, has won on heavy ground and his recent flat form has been fair. He comes into this off two Hurdle trial wins when I wouldn’t say he’s jumped terrific, but he jumped well enough and has good flat ability. He’ll be short and should win, but I won’t be taking the short odds about him at his jumping debut.

Another making his jumping debut here in 4 Mr Zed will be the hardest to beat. He ran a 6 length second to Alhambra Palace in a recent Traralgon Hurdle trial over 2800m but doesn’t have any real heavy track form. He’s by the proven jumps sire Zed and others of that breed handle heavy ground so I don’t think that will be a concern here. He seemed to jump better than Alhambra Palace at times in the Traralgon trial.  The 2 Flood And Fire goes in for third after running third behind Golden Garden at Casterton recently when making his hurdle debut. He’ll be better for that experience and also handles heavy ground. Interestingly Steven Pateman rode him last start and he goes onto Alhambra Palace in this race.

As I’ve said before, in my opinion they have to be pretty good or the opposition pretty average for a horse to win on debut over jumps, but I think 1 and 4 here may just have that edge on their rivals.

1 Alhambra Palace – 4 Mr Zed – 2 Flood And Fire

 

Race 2 – Ritchie’s IGA 0-114 Hurdle 3200m @ 12.45pm

An interesting race and an interesting late rider alteration here – some guides will already have Steven Pateman down as the rider of 6 Balinor, and also 1 Custom Of The Sea. I don’t know the circumstances behind the alteration/booking, but he will be riding Custom Of The Sea.

I’m expecting 6 Balinor to be well in the market on Sunday but I can’t have him and that makes the race a raffle for me. I tipped Balinor earlier in the season but as I said can’t have him on Sunday off his recent form, even his improved run last start behind Stockman at Warrnambool when beaten 6 lengths on a Heavy 8. He ran very well when beaten 0.75 lengths behind Loft at Warrnambool back in late March and that form is good enough for him to win this race. But that run behind Loft was on a Soft 6 and since then, he was pulled out of the race at Casterton after jumping awkwardly and then pulled out of the race again at Terang with the rider explaining that he didn’t handle the heavy conditions that day. The ground won’t be any better for him on Sunday than he raced on at Terang in mid-June.

On that basis it’s unlikely I’ll be having a bet in this race but after much deliberation I’m tipping 5 Teewaters on top. He’s still a maiden over jumps and his form doesn’t scream “mudlark” at me, but he has placed on heavy ground, even if it was way back in August 2021 in a Donald 1620m Maiden. His second, last start, may be good enough for him to win this from 7 Topspin who ran third behind two good jumpers last start at Warrnambool, but he was beaten 10 lengths, and I’ll put 6 Balinor in for third. If I were confident of Balinor handling the heavy conditions, I’d say he should just win this where he also has the weights in his favour. May be his class in comparison to his opposition just gets him home. Time will tell.

5 Teewaters – 7 Topspin – 6 Balinor

 

Race 3 – Hammonds Paints Maiden Hurdle 3400m @ 1.25pm

Sticking with 2 Farag here in this 3400m Maiden Hurdle. The form from his three hurdle starts when second behind Highland Blaze, Normandy Bridge and then Stockman is good enough to win this. He handles heavy ground, stays well and is sure to be improved by the recent jumps racing experience. He’ll race forward in this small field, make his own luck and I expect him to break his maiden jumps racing status here.

4 Split from the Patrick and Michelle Payne yard comes here off two good staying flat race wins, also handles heavy ground and will be the hardest to beat from the 5 Tapa Call. Tapa Call comes into this off an interesting preparation, but trainer Andrew Bobbin has had plenty of success with his jumpers and knows the caper well now.

A race in two for mine but I expect 2 Farag to be too good.

2 Farag – 4 Split – 5 Tapa Call

 

Race 4 – Brendan Drechsler Hurdle 3400m @ 2.05pm

A good race where you could make a case for most runners. Until his last start, 2 Loft, looked like a star at the hurdling caper and the main challenger to the unbeaten, The Cunning Fox. He won under a stranglehold at the Warrnambool May Carnival, but he jumped one awkwardly late in the race last start at Warrnambool and went down by 1.5 lengths to Right Now, when a very short priced favourite. While it won’t be any easier here, I think he’ll race forward from his inside barrier and have too much class on the flat for his rivals. Jumps racing seems to have rejuvenated his racing and the Tom Ryan/Shane Jackson combination can take out this first feature race on the day.

Loft won’t get it all his own way though and the hardest to beat will be his stable mate, 1 Highland Blaze, who is racing in good form and was kept up to the mark with a second placing on the flat at Bendigo behind Split over 3600m. His second behind The Cunning Fox over hurdles at the start prior is good enough to see him test Loft here. The extra 200m to the usual 3200m jumps races will suit Highland Blaze and will also suit 3 Sing For Peace more than some of the other runners, particularly 7 Normandy Bridge, and he therefore goes in for third.

2 Loft – 1 Highland Blaze – 3 Sing For Peace

 

Race 5 – Adam Lindsay Gordon Maiden Steeplechase 3400m @ 2.45pm

A big drop in class here for 1 Affluential who won last year’s Grand National Hurdle and makes his steeplechase debut here. Not sure he’s going as well as he was last season but he’s down in class from previous hurdle starts this season where he’s been racing in top class. He’s placed twice on heavy ground, and I don’t think that will be an issue for him here. He goes on top.

Hardest to beat will be 9 Nassak Diamond, who to my eye was disappointing last start at Warrnambool when beaten 14 lengths by Right Now, with Loft running second. I tipped her as the main rival to Loft that day. She’s been given a patient and deliberate Patrick and Michelle Payne preparation and has Tom Ryan taking over the reins here. She’s proven on heavy ground and the extra 200m and bigger obstacles won’t be any issue. Any of a few runners could run into a placing here, including 3 Dubai Moon, 4 Field Of Lights, 6 Prismatic and 7 Sky Hero. And that’s leaving out 2 Bazini, who ran third in this years Grand Annual Steeplechase. 3 Dubai Moon handles heavy ground and will set the pace here at his race debut of the bigger obstacles and he may take some running down. He goes in for third.

This could be a good betting race if you can get the toppy beaten or box up a few in a trifecta.

1 Affluential – 9 Nassak Diamond – 3 Dubai Moon

 

Race 6 – Ecycle Solutions Mosstrooper Steeplechase 3400m @ 3.25pm

Can’t go past the champ, 1 Stern Idol, here at the set weights and penalties. He drops in weight on his two most recent wins and is looking to win this race for a third year running and emulate the feat of the great Wells in recent times. Wells made it three consecutive wins in the Mosstrooper Steeplechase back in 2019.

With most of his opposition on or just above the minimum and him dropping in weight on his recent wins he’s well in this race but he does face a few new rivals here, particularly 2 Noonday Gun. Noonday Gun is unbeaten over jumps and couldn’t have been any more impressive winning a BM120 Steeplechase at Warrnambool last start by 16 lengths eased down and beating Prismatic and Field Of Lights. Both of those runners will go around one race earlier and so may also provide a guide to his form. As impressive as Noonday Gun was last start this is a big step up in class and I can’t see him beating 1 Stern Idol at the weights. 1 Stern Idol is the best steeplechaser in the country up to about 3900m. At a longer distance there are rivals to test him.

He’ll be no odds, and neither will the quinella, but you can only tip them and so 1 Stern Idol goes on top. He’ll give the Western District racegoers something to watch on Sunday. 2 Noonday Gun will be hardest to beat and runs second with 5 Instigator going in for third. Instigator has only won once on a heavy track, but it was one of the heaviest tracks you would see when he beat Saunter Boy by 16 lengths in a Hurdle at Ballarat on Grand National Steeplechase day in August 2020. On the flip side though he got 7 kg’s off Stern Idol last start and was beaten nearly 20 lengths. He’ll get 6 kg’s off the champ on Sunday.

The Western District local, 6 Mustang Harry, trained by Kaye Edwards at Casterton loves heavy ground and is one who certainly be fitter for his last start. If any rivals put a hoof wrong, he might sneak into third place. He’s one to watch later in the season on heavy tracks in a lower grade than this race. He’ll get into a BM120 Steeplechase nicely.

1 Stern Idol – 2 Noonday Gun – 5 Instigator

 

Safe jumping.

 

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

 

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