Billy Boy seeking to defend Trentham crowns
Billy Boy (So You Think) put his hand up as one of the country’s most exciting jumpers last year following his Manawatu-Wellington Hurdle double at Trentham, and trainer Jo Rathbone is hoping he can repeat that feat this year.
He will head to the Upper Hutt track this weekend to commence his title defence in the Manawatu ITM Manawatu Hurdles (2500m), and Rathbone is upbeat about his chances following a series of pleasing results on the flat.
He posted three successive placings before running 10th over 2040m at Wanganui last month, however, Rathbone isn’t reading too much into his last start result.
“He has had a few flat runs and he is going well,” Rathbone said. “They just went a bit quick (last start), he didn’t go terrible, he just doesn’t have the sprint that’s all, he is just one paced.”
Billy Boy boasts a strong jumping record, having won his sole steeplechase start, and won three of his four hurdle outings, with his only winless run coming when he was pulled up in last year’s Pakuranga Hunt Hurdle (3100m).
Rathbone is hoping the eight-year-old son of So You Think can extend his record this weekend before going on to tackle further prestige jumps titles this year.
“We will just see how the season goes, but his next race will likely be Wellington again,” Rathbone said. “He went well at Trentham last year, so it makes sense to go there.”
Rathbone also has ambitions of taking Billy Boy south for Riccarton’s Grand National Festival of Racing in August, a carnival she looks forward to every year.
“It would be nice to get down to Christchurch, I missed it last year, so hopefully I have a good team for that,” she said.
One member of that team could be Almalane, who will back up in the Vale Bob Autridge Hurdles (2500m) after being pulled up in his debut hurdle at Te Aroha on Monday.
“He didn’t get much of a chance up at Te Aroha,” Rathbone said. “He was a first starter, so they have to be put in the race to get a bit of confidence, but he just dropped out the back and that is where he stayed. It wasn’t too taxing of a run.
“We will be riding him a bit more positive this time and put him in the race because he does jump quite well, but he is just one-paced.”
Meanwhile, Rathbone will be in the uncustomary position of lining up a two-year-old on Saturday, with Thunder Squirrel set to make his debut in the Let’s Keep Racing At Trentham Supporters Club 2YO Sprint (1000m).
“I don’t usually have two-year-old types, I think he is my first two-year-old runner,” Rathbone said. “I usually end up with the slower maturing, staying types, so it is nice to have something with a bit more breeding on its side.
“He has shown a bit of promise, he is quite a nice horse. He went quite nice at the trials (when runner-up over 850m at Foxton last month), and prior to that he had gone a few nice jump outs too. I am quite happy with him.”
