JAKE Hull isn’t one to place too much emphasis on strike rates.
But just on seven months into the season, the young Gosford trainer can be justifiably proud of his “batting average” so far in only his third year on the other side of racing’s fence.
The former jockey’s talent as a trainer – he has trained 29 winners in his brief career - was clearly emphasised at Coffs Harbour last Sunday when he produced five-year-old gelding Externus ($7.50) to win the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m) at his first start since something went amiss at last July’s Grafton carnival.
Externus was Hull’s seventh winner from only 34 starters since August 1, and he has had 10 placegetters to add to those winners.
Thus his win strike rate is 20.6 per cent, and he is striking at 50 per cent for the place.
“I’ve got 35 horses, but a lot of them are young ones and that’s why we haven’t had a heap of runners this season,“ Hull said today.
“But I’m pretty proud of those strike rates, and we’ll be doing our best to make them even better over the remainder of the season.”
Hull was especially pleased to score fist-up with Pariah gelding Externus, who fetched $200,000 as a yearling at the 2021 Inglis Classic sale.
“I had him for a few runs earlier in his career, and always liked him,” he said.
“Damien Lane (Wyong trainer) won first-up with him at Gosford in a 1100m Maiden Plate in December 2023, so it was good to do the same at Coffs Harbour.”
After running second at Wyong last June over 1600m, the gelding ran well below his best when second last in a Class 2 Handicap (1600m) at Grafton the following month, and was making an abnormal respiratory noise afterwards.
“When Externus came back to me, I decided to give him a long spell,” Hull said.
“He had only the one trial (second over 845m at Wyong on January 29), and I tinkered around with his gear for the Coffs Harbour race.
“I used an old Peter Moody (trainer of the great mare Black Caviar) trick by putting a nose roll on him rather than blinkers, and also took a tongue tie off.
“I’m sure it helped because he showed real will to win when challenged over the closing stages, and that may have been lacking previously.
“I kept Externus fresh enough to win at 1200m, but believe he will get up to 2000m.
“His dam Vocabulary ran second in two 1400m Melbourne Group 1s in 2004; the first to Lonhro in the Orr Stakes, and the other to Reset in the Futurity Stakes.”
Whilst Hull’s 2024-25 strike rate is excellent, he is missing his very promising three-year-old Ferinzo.
The Cosmic Force gelding trounced his rivals in the Springboard To Fame 2YO Plate (1106m) at the Grafton carnival, but hasn’t raced since.
“He won a Hawkesbury trial in mid-November (beating subsequent city winner Art’s Alive), but didn’t reproduce that in another trial at Rosehill Gardens just before Christmas,” Hull said.
“We sent him for a scintigraphy scan, and they rang to ask if it was the right horse because he wasn’t showing any signs of a problem.
“Ferinzo is such a tough horse, but the scan showed he had fractured his pelvis.
“He is currently box bound, but I’m sure once he has completed his rehab he will bounce back and show the ability we know he possesses.”
. Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will accept with his sole entry Hellavadancer in Friday’s $250,000 Group 3 Newcastle Stakes (1400m), and also his three nominations (Spangler, Kind Words and Imposant) for Saturday’s third Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Hawkesbury.
“Hellavadancer won’t run if it’s wet, and we’ll assess the situation with the PMC horses,” Lees said this afternoon.
Lees expects to confirm a jockey for his unbeaten Golden Slipper contender Rivellino by week’s end.
. Leading Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price and Wyong’s John Copper were winners at today’s Kembla Grange meeting.
Team Price prepared all the way winner Satness ($3.40 favorite) in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m), and Cooper’s Listins Lass ($4.20) survived a protest lodged on behalf of runner-up Presides ($4.40) in the Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1000m).
At Scone, Flying Artie three-year-old Flying Argyle ($6.50) made it two in a row for Newcastle’s Paul Perry when he took the Class 1 Handicap (1300m).
Story John Curtis, March 4,2025 - Pics Bradley Photos
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