Trainer Robert Smerdon already had a mortgage on a feature hurdle race this weekend.
Thanks to the win of Kirribilli Gold in the Schweppes Handicap at Sandown, he has outstanding prospects of claiming a major jumps double.
Kirribilli Gold ($17) had a warm-up over 2100m on the flat at Sandown in preparation for Sunday’s Great Southern Steeplechase (3300m) at Mornington, relishing the fast pace to score by three-quarters of a length from Readings ($11).
“She’ll back up on Sunday, no reason why not,” Smerdon said.
“You don’t have to wait until they’re going no good to put them over the jumps.”
Until Wednesday’s race, that’s exactly how Kirribilli Gold had been going.
In her first two runs this time in Kirribilli Gold finished last and second last and was virtually unsighted last start when ninth of 15 at Warrnambool.
But with a strong pace from the jump at Sandown, jockey Dwayne Dunn settled the mare behind the leaders and when they gave ground the staying qualities expected of a jumper kicked in.
As well as Kirribilli Gold in Sunday’s steeplechase, Smerdon will run his star hurdler Black And Bent in the Jack Down Hurdle in which he will be attempting to win a record 10th successive jumps race.
Black And Bent holds the record for the most successive wins jointly with Lots Of Time who won his nine in a row over jumps during a four-month period in 1969.
