Natalie McCall transforms tough horse to debut winner

Pluck Jam was “ratbag” horse given to Natalie McCall by the owner and a fellow trainer to work out and has now become part of a stunning run of success at the Gold Coast.

PLUCK Jam was “ratbag” horse given to Natalie McCall by the owner and a fellow trainer to work out and has now become part of a stunning run of success at the Gold Coast.

The four-year-old won on debut in Saturday’s Colts, Geldings and Entires Maiden Plate (1200m) with Daniel Griffin in the saddle.

The mare is owned by trainer Yvonne Day who gave Pluck Jam to Sunshine Coast-based McCall to transform into a winner.

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“He is quite the handful and came to us as a ratbag,” McCall said.

“We had him in his first prep and he took some work.

“We got him up to where he was doing everything right an gave him a couple of gallops. He has got an amazing amount of raw ability but just wants to run.

“We need to harness it a little bit. As soon as we got him up and doing what we needed him to do we put him straight out.

Winner of race 3 Pluck Jam risen by Daniel Griffin with trainer Natalie Mccall at the Gold Coast Races. (Photo/Steve Holland)

“We didn’t try to get him to trial. We just wanted him to have a good experience. He came back pretty much a different horse.

“He was much more confident. He still has a lot to learn, he is still quite fiery.

“He has a lot of ability so if we can harness that and get him out to a mile he could be quite a nice horse.”

Winner of race 3 Pluck Jam risen by Daniel Griffin at the Gold Coast Races. (Photo/Steve Holland)

McCall boasts an impressive record at Gold Coast this season, winning six of eight races she has had a runner in to hold a strike rate of 75%.

“I think we have just found the right races for them here at the moment,” McCall said of her success.

“We are just taking them where they can win. Everyone has their patches of form and then you keep doing the same thing and they go terrible so you just have to keep doing what you’re doing.”