 A plan by Alan and Trevor Bailey to skip the major jumping races and
focus on the minor events paid dividends at Flemington yesterday when Bold Impulse scored
an impressive win in the BR Smith Hurdle.A
seven-year-old gelding by Snaadee, Bold Impulse was having just his ninth start over the
jumps and registered his fourth win.
After racing just off the speed Willy Harnett was able to
guide the gelding home in a length win over Specular, who was attempting two metro jumping
wins in less than a week.
Trevor Bailey, the son and Melbourne stable former of Alan,
was impressed with Bold Impulse’s performance in the BR Smith Hurdle.
"He’s a pretty good jumper this bloke,"
Bailey said. "He never seems to blaze to glory but he just does what he has to.
He’s a very handy jumper."
 "I was impressed with
the way he handled the big weight. He would have carried 68 (kilograms) after you take
into account the vest," Bailey added.
The Bailey stable nearly lost Bold Impulse after an
impressive fourth on the flat at Caulfield in January.
"He got very sick and he nearly died after his fourth
at Caulfield," Bailey recalled. "We have to stick him out and just give him some
time off."
Despite being a significant drifter in on course markets
from $2 to $3.20, Bold Impulse was able to show his jumping talents to win pulling away at
the line.
Bailey said the gelding would probably next run over the
sticks at Caulfield in the $45,000 Port Phillip Hurdle (3000m) on August 3.
He also indicated the gelding would likely switch to the
steeples as early as next season.
 "He’s got very
little respect for the little jumps and you’d think he would be ideally suited to the
steeples," Bailey predicted.
Specular, who’d scored at his jumping debut on the
previous Sunday at Caulfield, battled on strongly to finish second after hitting the front
at the top of the home straight. There was a length in between Bold Impulse and Specular
when they crossed the line after the 2800 metre journey.
Masterful Lad, a slight drifter on track, ran fairly well
to finish third a further three and a half lengths behind the runner up. He was in turn
six lengths clear of each way fancies Wilson Road and the South Australian visitor Voodoo
Sunset.
PICS - Quentin
Lang. |
