Canberra trainer Matthew Dale has claimed his third Highway Handicap in four weeks with Royal Jackpot at Rosehill.
The five-year-old gelding, who firmed from $9.50 to $7.50, settled midfield for most of the 1500m race until the home straight where Brenton Avdulla steered him through a gap.
Royal Jackpot won by a long neck to join Shadow Affair and Bitburg as winners of the weekly race for country-trained horses.
Dale said Royal Jackpot was a good horse but it had been a long time between wins.
“He’s been a bit of a frustrating horse,” Dale said.
“We thought he was a Country Championships horse last year.
“He lost his way a little bit, lost his confidence.”
Dale said there were no excuses for the gelding on Saturday’s dry track and was happy Royal Jackpot rose to the occasion.
“It was D-day for him today,” he said.
Avdulla had several opportunities during the race to take a gap, but waited patiently for the right one.
“I ended up getting to the back of Tommy Huet who I knew would take me somewhere,” he said.
“I just had to be patient and wait for the gaps to come.”
Huet’s mount Grand Proposal was a long-neck second with the Danny Williams-trained Ashjata ($4.60) another nose third.
