In some ways, it was a case of righting a wrong from two years’ ago for Jimmy The Bear in the Listed Winter Championship Series Final (1600m) at Flemington.
Beaten as a $2.80 betting companies favourite in 2023, Jimmy The Bear atoned two years later with a typically tough victory, with the $5.00 second elect scoring by a head over last years’ winner Munhamek ($41) who finished just a nose ahead of Forgot You ($61) in third.
Carrying 59kg and jumping from barrier 14 under Billy Egan, the Patrick & Michelle Payne trained galloper raced largely without cover midfield but loomed up strongly in the straight, with race favourite Oh Too Good fading to finish eighth after leading.
Michelle Payne said brother Patrick and the entire team would take plenty of satisfaction from the win of their beloved gelding.
“He’s just an old marvel,” Payne said.
“The whole crew is so excited as you can imagine, and as they should be because he’s just an old marvel.
“His win last start put the writing on the wall. He was great under Tom Prebble and brilliant again today.
“Billy did the best he could from the barrier, quite a bit wide, but just had a nice resting run from where he was and balanced him up.
“It was looking a good chance all the way up the straight, but he had to fight for it and just as Jimmy does, he doesn’t know how to run a bad race and he fought it out really well.
“I’m sure Patrick’s sitting at home with his arms crossed feeling very happy.”
Billy Egan was aboard Jimmy The Bear when beaten in the race two years ago and said he was very fortunate to pick up the ride again after apprentice Tom Prebble was suspended.
“Tom Prebble is here on course, shows he’s in the game for all the right reasons and he’s a good jockey, he’s one of his favourite horses, so it’s great to see him here,” Egan said.
“I admire Tom in a lot of ways. I wish I could do what he did when I was his age and have his discipline and his good attitude.
“It was a bit like riding a group winner then actually, because just how much everyone in the stable loves this horse.”
