Leading South Australian trainer Chantelle Jolly eyes hat-trick of Saturday successes in Melbourne

A dearth of options in Adelaide has resulted in top South Australian trainer staring down a hat-trick of potential Saturday successes in Melbourne. 

A dearth of options in Adelaide has resulted in top South Australian trainer Chantelle Jolly staring down a hat-trick of Saturday successes in Melbourne with Keep Reading the latest border hopper.

Premiership trainer Jolly, who works in partnership with father Richard, has prepared Flemington and Sandown winners the past two Saturdays in Losesomewinmore and Pudding respectively.

Losesomewinmore coincidently is set to return to Flemington next Saturday in pursuit of another win down the straight.

Keep Reading, a last start winner at Morphettville, is a $4.40 favourite with TAB on Saturday at Caulfield in the 1100m Open Handicap.

“Caulfield will suit Keep Reading, he’s an on pace horse, drawn a good gate,” Jolly said.

“I definitely think it will suit him … and probably deserves to be favourite after his last run.”

Keep Reading won by a length last start in Adelaide under 60kg — 6kg more than Saturday’s impost.

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Trainer Chantelle Jolly.

Jolly boasts a proven record in Melbourne with healthy strike rates at Sandown (50 per cent), Moonee Valley (30 per cent), Caulfield (28 per cent) and Flemington (16 per cent) from past hit-and-run missions.

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The father-daughter combination has saddled four Caulfield winners from only 14 starters.

“We don’t send them over just for the trip, we send them over wanting to be a good chance and hopefully they get the money,” Jolly said.

“If there is a race in Adelaide you would probably prefer to run here, purely because it’s our home track, but the prizemoney in Melbourne is a big incentive, it’s nearly double ours.

“We know which ones we think will handle the trip … we pick and choose what goes over there and if they draw all right and the stars align then it’s a success.”

Jolly lamented the limited options in Adelaide for “good horses”.

Losesomewinmore wins at Flemington.

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Keep Reading is one of five SA-based runners at Caulfield on Saturday, including two for Will Clarken and Nikki O’Shea and another two out of the Andrew Gluyas yard.

“The main reason why he’s (Keep Reading) running in Melbourne is because we can’t find a race for him here in Adelaide,” Jolly said.

“He’s getting up in the ratings now and unfortunately Adelaide don’t seem to really want to keep good horses in the state so they don’t put many higher-rated races on, so he’s earned the spot there in Melbourne.

“As soon as they win a race it’s very hard to race them (in Adelaide), or you’re forced to put apprentices on, we just haven’t had the best luck with apprentices lately, or the horses don’t suit apprentice riders, so Melbourne is our next best option and it’s been successful.”

STERN IDOL BACK ON THE FLAT

A change of date for the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) has afforded champion jumper Stern Idol an alternative after being handicapped out of Australian Steeplechase (3900m).

Brierly winner Stern Idol, a $9.50 chance with TAB on Sunday, faced a potential 74.5kg impost in the 3900m feature steeplechase compared to 54kg in the Sandown Cup as a 71-rater on the flat.

Stern Idol’s jumps rating is expected to hike from 146 going into the Brierly to 149.

With more weight-friendly steeples on the horizon, the Mosstrooper, Thackeray and Crisp, assistant trainer Declan Maher said the Sandown Cup suited Stern Idol.

“I don’t think he really needs to do that (74.5kg) on the back of the Brierly,” Maher said.

The hulking former French import has won, broke the Benchmark 70 class record in doing so, and run second in 3000m flat races at Sandown the past two years used primarily as fitness gallops for jumps campaigns.

“It’s a little bit unknown but he’ll have 54kg on his back, a lot better than 74kg, it will be interesting to see how he fares,” Maher said.

Stern Idol has dominated the Victorian jumps circuit the past two seasons with a trademark bold, fast and freewheeling style.

“He’s probably going to race very similar … take it up, stride along and do his thing, use his action and with 54kg he could take a bit of running down,” Maher said.

Stern Idol would not be the first champion jumper to appear on the Sandown Cup honour roll, if successful, as 2014 winner Renew forged a career over obstacles with success in the 2017 Galleywood and Australian Hurdles.

Originally published as Leading South Australian trainer Chantelle Jolly eyes hat-trick of Saturday successes in Melbourne