Australian Hurdle next target for Two Hats

Sunday 20 May 2018, 2:40pm

Another feature hurdle win this preparation will be a bonus for trainer Aaron Purcell and the connections of Two Hats.

Purcell had one goal when Two Hats began his campaign for the 2018 jumps season, victory in the Galleywood Hurdle during Warrnambool's May carnival.

Two Hats gave a faultless display to win the hurdle feature and Purcell is now eyeing off another upcoming signature race.

The gelding is set to run on Saturday in the Australian Hurdle at Sandown.

Saturday's meeting, which also includes the Australian Steeplechase, is the only jumps meeting conducted on a metropolitan track on the major race day of the week for the jumps season that runs from March to September.

Two Hats has raced seven times over jumps registering four wins, two seconds and an untimely fall at Pakenham two starts ago.

Purcell said just how far Two Hats races on into the season depends on the rising eight-year-old.

"His main goal was the Galleywood," Purcell said.

"We did what we could to get him right for the day and it worked out well.

"Once you get to his level you aim for the set-weights races and the better handicaps.

"While you're well you run and when you not so well you pull up stumps and aim towards next year's Galleywood.

"At the moment he's pretty good so we'll march on."

Purcell said Two Hats gave him a scare when he fell at Pakenham on April 15.

"He's a fairly safe jumper and he was probably feeling a bit too well on the day," Purcell said.

"He made a minor mistake which ended up in a bit of a spectacular fall.

"Luckily he pulled up well after his tumble.

"There was initial concern but once I got him vetted on the day I was pretty confident that it wouldn't affect his long-term prospects at all."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »