Robert Thompson and The Jackal return to the winners stall for owner Paul St Vincent and wife Therese to celebrate the return of their king of swing. Photo: Robert Chappel 220213RCC38
THE Jackal and Border Rebel match up again at the Gold Coast today.
The two old Tamworth foes rejoin battle in the $100,000 Queensland Carbine Club Gold Coast Stakes (1200m).
Seven-year-old Border Rebel is resuming from a spell and jousting for a 15th career win at his 30th start.
He’s earned $594,650 in prizemoney so far and loves the wet, winning all four of his starts on heavy tracks and three from six on a Slow surface.
The Gold Coast track was rated a Slow 6 yesterday but might not improve much given the amount of rain South East Queensland has received in recent weeks.
That is a major worry for The Jackal as the big horse with a huge stride has won just three times in Dead conditions from 14 attempts and been unplaced in all four outings on a Slow surface.
“If it gets back to a Dead 4 he might be a chance of running a place,” The Jackal’s trainer, Kane St Vincent told The Leader on Thursday evening.
“But everyone down at the Gold Coast has told me it won’t get much better than it is because of all the rain they have had.”
The Jackal needs the run, he said, for a couple of races at Eagle Farm in the next month and then a possible trip down to Scone.
His recent trip to Quirindi showed the 10-year-old chestnut gelding, who has won 15 of his 67 starts and $1,065,035 in prizemoney, still has a zest for racing, winning the Quirindi Lightning in thrilling fashion for owner Paul St Vincent.
He had trained The Jackal until he sent the sprinting star to his son, Kane, at the Sunshine Coast earlier this year for what could be his last preparation.
“We’re more than happy with him,” Paul St Vincent said.
“If the track could get back to Dead we’d be real happy.”
The Jackal’s appearance at Quirindi was his first win for two years after a succession of injuries had interrupted his different preparations.
At Quirindi he rekindled memories of his barnstorming Ramornie Handicap wins. “He hasn’t changed,” Kane St Vincent said.
“He’s as sound as ever but is still a race to race proposition.”
He said The Jackal has worked strongly since his Lightning win at Quirindi.
“I’m ecstatic with him and what he’s done,” he said.
“He’s 100 per cent, the way he’s behaving and the way he’s working but I won’t be getting too excited about this run because of the track but it will keep him going.
There’s another race at Eagle Farm in two weeks that looks good and then another one a couple of weeks after that as well.
Then we might look at Scone after that. They are his goals anyway.”