Capable stayer Hit The Road Jack has shifted camp to prepare for the next stage of his career.
The son of Jakkalberry arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday to build toward a jumping career from the successful Warrnambool stable of Symon Wilde.
The seven-year-old was formerly prepared at Cambridge by Shaun Phelan, who remains part of the ownership group of the seven-time winner.
“I had been in contact with a few trainers over there and he’s gone to Symon Wilde, Aaron Kuru jacked that up for me,” Phelan said.
“We just thought that he’s up in the ratings a bit now and he’s obviously got flat ability, so we thought we might as well have a go with him over the jumps in Australia.”
A brother to six-time winner and former stablemate Enchanted Elle, Hit The Road Jack has won four open handicaps and placed in the Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m), the Egmont Cup (2100m) and the Te Awamutu Cup (1600m).
He has performed well in stakes company when fifth in the Group 2 Avondale Cup (2400m), the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) and the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) and was a luckless seventh in an edition of the Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m).
Most recently, he was runner-up in a hurdle trial at Cambridge before he was unplaced last time out in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) when denied a decent crack at them in the straight.
Hit The Road Jack will have the mandatory two jumping trials in Victoria, with the first likely to be on his new home track at Warrnambool on Monday.
“The syndicate thought we’d have a go and it was a good offer from them to train him so we’re quite excited about it all,” Phelan said.
“It’s in their hands over there now and he might have the odd flat run, he could be competitive in a country cup somewhere.”