The in-form African Heat is being groomed as a potential jumper and jockey Michael Walker could be along for the ride.
Walker has combined with the Robert Smerdon-trained five-year-old for three wins from as many rides including a 2413m race at Mornington on Wednesday.
Smerdon said African Heat would embark on a jumps career next year.
“African Heat will go jumping next year and he (Walker) tells me he has a ticket to ride over jumps,” Smerdon said.
Walker confirmed he had qualified to ride over jumps in his native New Zealand.
“I even came fourth in a Grand National,” he said.
The 2007 Grand National at Riccarton was Walker’s first jumps race ride and came about by accident when the multiple Group One winning jockey was available following a mix-up over Striking’s rider.
His previous experience had been limited to jumps trials and workouts.
African Heat was the first leg of a winning double for Smerdon who sent out the favourite Destiny’s Kiss in the following race over 1508 metres with Dwayne Dunn aboard.
The Mornington meeting had metropolitan status but was disappointingly reduced to six races when there were not enough acceptances.
