Irish trainers Dermot Weld and Willie Mullins have previously campaigned hurdlers in the Melbourne Cup with varying degrees of success. Weld famously won the race with Vintage Crop, while Mullins has brought both Vauban and Absurde to Flemington following their careers over jumps.
Another Irishman, Warrnambool-based Shane Jackson, is hoping his promising jumper Loft can follow a similar path, with Melbourne Cup dreams still alive despite a recent focus on the hurdles.
Loft, who was a leading Melbourne Cup contender in 2022 before a tendon injury struck, is now back in form, having won both of his jumping starts under Jackson’s guidance. This Sunday, he is expected to line up in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) before potentially heading north for the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.
After an underwhelming return on the flat in last year’s Ballarat Cup, Loft transitioned to the jumps with immediate success, scoring twice at Warrnambool. He then produced a huge run when fourth in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington earlier this month.
“He could go to a jumps race at Sandown on Sunday and win, which would be fantastic, but his main aim over jumps this season is the Grand National Hurdle,” Jackson said.
“If he hadn’t of shown the spark he did at Flemington in the Andrew Ramsden, we would have resigned to the fact he was going to be a hurdler.
“But his run in the Andrew Ramsden was massive and arguably if the race had panned out a little better for him, he could have gone close and then we would have been dreaming big.
“I don’t think his flat days are done by any means and I think he can mix codes.
“If I can’t make a champion flat horse out of him, he will be a champion jumper. It would take a good one to beat him over the jumps, but I would love to be able to mix codes with him.”
Jackson added that he would only run Loft this weekend if the track conditions were suitable. “If it’s rated soft, I’ll run him. If it’s good, we’ll likely wait,” he said, referencing Loft’s unconvincing performance on firm ground at Ballarat last year.
If all goes to plan, Jackson is prepared to fly Loft to Brisbane the Tuesday before the Brisbane Cup. “If it looks like it will be wet, I can send him, but if it’s going to be dry, I don’t want to send him up not to have a run,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Jackson will also be represented in the jumps events on Sunday with Noonday Gun set for the benchmark hurdle and Highland Blaze lining up in the Australian Hurdle.
“Noonday Gun will run in the benchmark 120 hurdle and after that he will likely get swapped to go steeplechasing with the Grand National in mind and Highland Blaze will go to the Australian Hurdle because he is crying out for the 3900 metres,” Jackson said.
“He’s done no wrong, he’s been brilliant for us, and his aim will also be the Grand National Hurdle then have a little freshen up and have a crack at the Jericho Cup in December.”
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