Race Images South
Fast forward 12 months and the perfectly-named Jackfrost might well be giving the top jumpers in the land a cold.
The near white son of Gallant Guru has taken to his new role in a brilliant style and kept his unbeaten record over fences intact at Riccarton on Saturday when he ran away with the Zilco Premier Hurdle.
Jackfrost had made a successful debut over the smaller fences for Brian and Shane Anderton on Wednesday, after joining their Wingatui stable earlier this year after previous spells with David and Emma Haworth and with Andrew Carston.
“The race didn’t seem to take too much out of him and it’s not often you get two chances with a maiden,” Shane Anderton said.
“He’s won well again today and he’s close to a spell now. He’s a really nice type and he could be a Grand National horse next year.”
Jackfrost was patiently handled by a confident Stuart Higgins after their midweek success and he had the seven-year-old travelling kindly one off the fence in the middle of the field.
The 25-year-old Englishman made his move across the top to challenge at the top of the straight and led over the last two flights to post a clear-cut victory.
“I schooled him before his first race and he won that really well and only went up a kilo and a half,” Higgins said.
Speedy Jax enjoyed a good run in the trail throughout and he fought on for second ahead of Sir Ritchie, a runaway maiden flat winner on Wednesday, who tired in the closing 300 metres after jumping well, if not a little extravagantly, in front. – NZ Racing Desk.