Hello Jack missed an opportunity to contest his maiden TAB Highway on the weekend but should be able to cash in when he steps out at home at Goulburn on Monday.
Despite back-to-back booming wins in the lead-up, Hello Jack found himself as the fourth emergency in what would have been the son of Super One’s Highway debut.
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“It was quite a shame because I thought he was a good top four chance,’’ Collings said. “He drew barrier two and everything aligned except for us getting a run.
“I thought when he won his last start at Parkes, the way he won, that he might have got a couple more benchmark points and that would have secured us a spot in a Highway but it didn’t so we have just got to go around on Monday now.’’
Hello Jack is putting together an admirable C.V with five wins and seven placings (five of them seconds) from his 15 starts.
A $12,000 Magic Millions Yearling purchase by owner Tim Stewart, Hello Jack has pocketed $75,150 so far with another pay-day looming in Monday’s Brad Writer Handicap (1300m).
“If he wins on Monday obviously we are out of the Highways and we will just have to try and place him the best we can,’’ says Collings.
“His face will definitely pop-up in town sooner rather than later that’s for sure. I think with the horse’s racing pattern, Canterbury would be a lovely track for him.’’
Hello Jack’s recent wins exemplified his sustained speed and his affinity with jockey Nick Heywood.
“Nick has worked the horse out a treat. He lets the horse roll through his gears without making him do it and it seems to be working,’’ Collings said.
Collings and Heywood could increase their present 27.3 per cent winning strike-rate with Master Joe the first of their two live hopes at Goulburn on Monday.
The son of Bjorn Baker’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner, Unencumbered, Master Joe has raced at Goulburn at five of his eight starts, winning twice and finishing second twice.
“He loves racing at home at Goulburn; his record there is fantastic so we’d be hoping he runs very well again on Monday,’’ said Collings.
“I think he just likes coming out of that 1000 metre chute.
“Barrier four is perfect for him and with the scratching we come into three.
“It’s not an overly strong Benchmark 66 and that’s why elected to go that way because he got a bit of weight relief by going in the 66 because the majority of his career he has had to carry big weights all the time.
“If happened out and win on Monday (a Highway) would be the next step for him for sure.’’
Alysha Collett meanwhile will hook-up with the Collings-trained gelding Quizy for the third straight time when they contest the JCF Constructions Maiden (1500m).
“Quizy got trapped a bit wide from a bad gate and he also got galloped on so his run the other day was really good,” says Collings. ‘’This is probably the best barrier he has drawn for a long, long time and Alysha was off the opinion that he just needs to draw a good gate to nearly get the job done.’’
Collings’s day won’t be done until after the last where the unbeaten Mogo Magic adds some star power to the 800m Open trial.
“He is a horse that is going places. He will trial on Monday and then all going well, he will start first-up in a Highway on July 1 at Rosehill.’’