A trainer recommending a horse go to another trainer, especially in a similar area, isn’t a common occurrence in racing’s often cut throat world!
However, that is exactly what happened with yesterday’s first-up Goulburn winner The Chosen One.
Fledgling Gosford trainer Jake Hull landed the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m) with the rising seven-year-old gelding, who was having his first start since being unplaced over 1750m at Muswellbrook on January 3, and took time out today to thank fellow trainer Damien Lane.
“Damien and I are good friends,” Hull said. “He won a race with The Chosen One over 1450m at Muswellbrook in January last year and had a number of placings with him.
“But he felt the horse would be better placed where I’m training at Feale Park, where we have our own private track.
“Sometimes, these older horses lose their way a bit, and appreciate a more relaxed environment.
“I have had The Chosen One for three to three and a half months, and took my time with him and trialled him only once (at Wyong over 1000m on June 20).
“I was pretty confident he was ready to run well yesterday, and even though it was a 7-hour return trip to Goulburn, it was worth it.”
Such was Hull’s confidence that he convinced Grant Buckley to also make the trip to Goulburn to partner the Choisir gelding.
“Grant and I were rivals in my riding days, and obviously he is a very good jockey,” Hull said.
“I rang his manager and was pretty persuasive that Grant would not be disappointed if he went to Goulburn.”
In a tense three-way finish, Buckley got the most out of The Chosen One ($5) to edge out Kembla Grange pair Karaoke King ($4.40 favorite) and Mentalism ($5) in an all-provincial result.
As well as expressing his appreciation of Lane’s recommendation, Hull also was especially pleased to win for part-owners Mike and Carol D’silva, who were on course to celebrate the gelding’s third career success.
The former “Wyong Wizard” Neville McBurney, now living at the Gold Coast, was keen to train The Chosen One at the beginning of the gelding’s career for the D’silva’s and came out of retirement for a period, and won a 1200m Maiden there with him at his second career start.
Former jockey Hull has had a tremendous start to his training career this season at major owner John O’Connor’s Feale Park Training Centre at Somersby.
He won with his fourth starter (Goofy Mick) at Taree on December 18 last year, and The Chosen One was his seventh victory.
Hull also clinched a city breakthrough with seven-year-old Rhythmic Pulse as a $41 outsider, on the Kensington track in May. That was the gelding’s first win in 15 months.
Though The Chosen One has raced over longer distances, Hull feels he is better suited being kept fresh and staying at sprint trips.
“He pulls hard when the tempo is slower in those longer races,” he explained.
“The Chosen One can’t do anything wrong in the shorter races as they go quicker.
‘Anyway, I chanced my arm with that personal opinion, and it paid off.”
*Words John Curtis, July 18, 2023 - Pics Bradley Photos*
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