Gobstopper jumps into National contention

Monday 25 May 2020, 4:10pm

Well-related gelding Gobstopper is making his mark during this year's Victorian jumps racing season and trainer Eric Musgrove is now plotting a path for him to the Grand National Hurdle.

By Tavistock out of Bagalollies, Gobstopper's siblings include former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther and recent Group One Australasian Oaks winner Toffee Tongue.

Gobstopper added Sunday's Australian Hurdle at Sandown to his recent victory in the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool, with the Grand National Hurdle in early August at Sandown now his main target this year.

"We haven't completely made up our mind but he will go to the National at Sandown probably by way of the Lafferty Hurdle," Musgrove said.

The Kevin Lafferty Hurdle is on July 5 at Warrnambool with the Grand National Hurdle on August 2.

Musgrove hopes Gobstopper will not be too harshly treated in the handicaps for the National.

"He's not a very big horse, so providing weight doesn't get him he would be right in it," he said.

Musgrove said the seven-year-old had come through Sunday's 2-3/4 length win over 3900m in terrific order and was bright as a button.

Gobstopper started his career in New Zealand with trainer Andrew Campbell and his wins on the flat included the Group Three New Zealand Cup in November 2017.

Campbell brought the gelding to Australia last year, with Gobstopper winning the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle at Pakenham before failing to finish in the Grand National Hurdle.

"Last season when he came over it was probably at the end of his prep," Musgrove said.

– 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 »