Jesaulenko ready to prove age is just a number at The Meadows
GRAND old stager Jesaulenko (College Causeway x Elite Fairy Oct '13) ran his young rivals off their feet at The Meadows on Saturday night when winning a heat of the Super Vic-Bred series over 525m.
Having been scratched from the heats of the Australian Cup the week prior, Jesaulenko was well graded against fifth grade opposition and was dominant from go to whoa, jumping straight to the front off box five. Once he skipped away from his rivals his class shone through, racing to the line to win by five lengths in a nippy 29.92.
Trainer Terri Morris could not have been prouder of her boy, defeating a classy field including recent Floodfawn Classic winner Why Not Ginger which is more than two years younger than him.
“He is up against all the young ones now and his legs are a lot older than theirs,” Morris told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“He has still been trialling brilliantly. He was supposed to be in the Australian Cup heats the week before, but I couldn't make it to the track as I had a migraine.
“It was very disappointing, but one thing I have learned is that there are always other races and luckily enough there was a suitable series on for him at The Meadows.”
The black dog has been one of the most consistent chasers in recent years, holding track records at Traralgon (29.84) and Sale (24.32) and winning the 2017 Group 2 Traralgon Cup, the Listed Cup Night Sprint and placing second in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup and the Group 1 Temlee.
Throughout his career he has also qualified for the 2016 Group 2 Traralgon Cup, the Group 2 Bendigo Cup, the Group 2 Cranbourne Cup and the Group 3 Silver Bullet. All up he has faced the starter 92 times for 42 wins, 18 seconds and 12 thirds with more than $391,000 in prize money beside his name.
He will jump from box eight in the final this Friday against a handy field including Vostok and True Talent which won their heats in 30.21 and 29.93 respectively.
“He has been cursed with bad boxes throughout his career, but he knows how to make the most of it now – I am very lucky he is good enough to do that,” Morris said.
“I would have loved to get box one with him – but he has come up with box eight for the final. I don't think that will bother him though – he has won from there in the past.
“If he can jump I give him a good chance in the final. The dog to beat will be True Talent, it raced Jesaulenko's little sister at Sandown Park a few weeks ago in the [Judy Hayley] final, but if he gets a bit of luck I think he can win.”