Hall Snr Proud Of “Bridesmaid” Jumpingjackmac

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Harness

Jumpingjackmac may not have been able to shake the bridesmaid tag in Friday’s Retravision-Fremantle Cup (2936m), but champion trainer Gary Hall Snr knows it took something special to beat him.

The six-year-old led throughout the $300,000 event and was narrowly beaten by Victorian Catch A Wave in track record time.

It continued a frustrating run of seconds for Jumpingjackmac, a position he’s filled in the WA Derby, Four-Year-Old Classic, Golden Nugget, Pinjarra Cup and the past two WA Pacing Cups.

He also finished third in the inaugural edition of The Nullarbor.

Hall Snr said while he was disappointed not to claim the feature event, he knew Catch A Wave had produced a performance reminiscent of his own superstar Im Themightyquinn.

“He just seems to be a bridesmaid and finds one better all the time,” Hall Snr told The Trots WA.

“It took a good horse to beat him, and he went fantastic on Friday.

“He was brilliantly fast and it was a bit like Quinny.”

The son of Mach Three’s Fremantle Cup performance took his record to 18 wins and 21 placings from 62 starts.

Hall Snr said Jumpingjackmac played a key role in filling the void left by Chicago Bull in his stable’s Free-For-All ranks.

“He cracked the $850,000 mark on Friday night,” he said.

“He’s probably going to crack the $1 million mark too, which isn’t a bad effort.

“He’s a really nice horse and an easy horse to train.”

Jumpingjackmac is set to race again at Gloucester Park this Friday and Hall Snr indicated he would likely have a few more runs before a spell.

In an ominous warning to his rivals in Friday’s $50,000 4&5YO Championship (2130m), Hall Snr said exciting pacer Mister Smartee was ready to make a statement.

“It’s going to be an interesting race,” he said.

“The draw will determine what happens, but I think Mister Smartee can win from any draw.

“Stewie (McDonald) drove him in trackwork the morning after the Fremantle Cup and he said ‘if I drove Mister Smartee last night he wouldn’t have got beaten’.”

Hall Snr is also set to have Im The Black Flash and Skylou in the feature event.

Tim Walker

Image – Jodie Hallows