I WANNA Be A Jeep spreadeagled his opposition and cantered to victory in Friday’s $35,000 Elders Walcha Cup (1440m).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Jenny Graham-trained gelding son of Congrats battled a strong headwind in the back straight, as well as the attention of last year’s Cup winner Try ‘N’ Run A Muck, before surging clear up the hill and winning.
Ben Looker rode the five-year-old to victory, as Blinkin Artie drove late to finish within two-and-half lengths of him – while topweight Glitra was three lengths further back in third place.
Graham and Looker celebrated their first Walcha Cup success.
“We always came here with the impression of making Try ‘N’ Run A Muck do a bit of work,” Looker said.
“He [Try ‘N’ Run A Muck] had a pretty easy time winning the Inverell and Glen Innes Cups.”
Looker said I Wanna Be A Jeep’s racing pattern, racing on the speed, was ideally suited to the mission of making Try ‘N’ Run A Muck work hard, as well as to the Walcha track.
“Jenny’s done a great job with him too,” he said of the Port Macquarie trainer, who has now won five races in 23 starts with the gelding.
While this is Graham’s first Walcha Cup winner, it is not her first winner at Walcha.
“It has [the track] been pretty good to me,” she said.
“[I’ve] had some good winners here.”
She said I Wanna Be A Jeep is a “speed” horse able to run up on the pace, or just behind it.