Brad McLean will relish the chance to win a Warrnambool feature on his favourite horse in Wednesday’s Galleywood Hurdle.
McLean will team up with Maythehorsebemagic for the sixth time in the $100,000 race after winning three races on the jumper.
Maythehorsebemagic carried McLean to victories in last year’s JJ Houlahan Hurdle and the Australian Steeple when the horse was trained by the jockey’s brother Jarrod.
Suspension forced Maythehorsebemagic to shift to the Darren Weir stable but the switch has not broken the jockey’s partnership with the nine-year-old.
“He’s a special horse to me with the way he goes about it,” McLean said.
“He’s a temperamental sort of bugger but we bond really well and I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”
McLean said finding the winner of this year’s Galleywood was difficult despite a small field.
Weir will also run the versatile galloper Gotta Take Care and the trainer can’t split the pair.
McLean said Gotta Take Care, the $2.60 favourite, was the biggest danger to Maythehorsebemagic.
“The stablemate will be hard to beat,” McLean said.
“The other horse is in good form and he showed that with his win on the flat the other day at Flemington.”
Maythehorsebemagic, a $7.50 chance, will tackle the Galleywood Hurdle with just one flat run under his belt after a 33-week spell.
However, McLean said fitness would not be an issue for the Zabeel gelding who has had two official trials as well as plenty of schooling.
