Gold Coast trainer Bruce Hill is hoping it will be a case of second time lucky for stable veteran Leapfrog who chases redemption in the $100,000 Bat Out Of Hell Handicap on his home track on Saturday.
Leapfrog finished runner-up to Paprika in the 2011 edition of the 900m dash and Hill is adamant the six-year-old is going equally as good 12 months down the track.
Countering his confidence however is the six-kilo weight rise the horse has been asked to carry this year and a few niggling wear and tear issues.
“He’s a genuine old horse who has tried his guts out right throughout his career,” Hill said.
“He’s going as well if not better than he was last year – he’ll be pretty right come Saturday, I’m sure of that.
“He’s always had a few issues that we have to manage but we just go easy and play around with him at home and he’s right to go.”
Leapfrog hasn’t started since October 22 when he finished seventh to the Kelso Wood-trained Seek And Find over 1000m at Eagle Farm but Hill said the gelding remained in the stable during the break.
The pair will resume their rivalry on Saturday on level weights but Seek And Find will meet Leapfrog 4.5kg worse off from their previous clash.
Widely-travelled sprinter Trusted Partner is the third equal topweight on 59kg and Hill said although the race appeared to be weaker than last year’s version, winning feature races was never easy.
“Try winning one and see how easy it is,” he said.
“It doesn’t appear as strong a race as it usually is but in my experience it never works out like that in good races.”
Hill has booked Sydney lightweight Jay Ford to have his first ride on Leapfrog on Saturday and said he was delighted to have the internationally experienced jockey’s services.
“I hadn’t really thought about a rider and Jay rung and asked for the ride so I booked him,” Ford said.
“He knows what he’s doing and it’s a bit hard to do much wrong in 900-metre races anyway.
“This horse has good gate speed and he will be right up there.”
AAP TURF
