By ROY ASPINALL
GOTTA TAKE CARE is in line for a $300,000 bonus with victory in the $200,000 Grand National Hurdle (3900 metres) at Sportingbet Park, Sandown on Sunday 13 July.
The first of the two premier metropolitan jumps meetings in Australia will be conducted by the Melbourne Racing Club on the Sportingbet Park, Sandown, Lakeside track.
The second is the $250,000 Grand National Steeplechase (4500 metres) on the same track on Sunday, July 27.
Gotta Take Care could well become the first horse to win the Melbourne Racing Club’s $300,000 Jumps Racing Bonus Series and he does look the horse to beat in the 132nd running of the Grand National Hurdle. The bonus is based on six jumps events, two at Warrnambool and four at Sportingbet Park, Sandown. The bonus goes to any horse that can win three of those events in the one jumping season. Gotta Take Care has won two legs with the Galleywood Hurdle and Australian Hurdle to his credit and the Grand National Hurdle will complete the trifecta.
Since then he has easily won the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle (3200 metres) at Bendigo on June 15 for the third successive year and that took his prizemoney to $1,011,419. A remarkable performer, Gotta Take Care has won 20 of 70 starts with 19 placings. Of those are nine wins in 17 starts over jumps. He is having a final run on the flat in preparation for the Grand National.
As always there will be a strong field out to spoil Gotta Take Care’s day and one of those only made its Australian debut at the end of June.
Sea King joined the Plumpton stables of Patrick Payne only a week before, impressively winning the $100,000 Kevin Lafferty Hurdle (3470 metres) in heavy conditions at Warrnambool on June 29. He had previously been trained in New Zealand by the great jumps’ conditioner Kevin Meyers and has now won seven-times over jumps.
“The National and Sandown should suit him ideally,” Berwick-area jockey Steve Pateman said after the win, “he’s only been here a week and had one trial mid-week”.
Course admission on Sunday, July 13, is $10 for adults, $5 concession and children under 18 accompanied by an adult are admitted free. Attractive dining packages are also available and bookings can be made by phoning 9257 7100.
