Caption: The presentation dais after the 2023 $150,000 Ladbrokes Hobart Thousand Final (461m) with Victorian chaser Crackerjack Bull and trainer Jordan Cooper taking centre stage.
By Brennan Ryan
Victorian chaser Crackerjack Bull provided Jordan Cooper with his first Group 1 victory via a barnstorming finish in taking out the $150,000 Ladbrokes Hobart Thousand Final (461m) in mid-December.
The son of Fernando Bale and Maximum Kack unleashed a sensational burst of speed in the closing stages resulting in an epic finish, running down Got Attitude, which edged out Ducati Roy (third) in 25.67secs.
With arguably one of the most exciting endings to the Hobart Thousand, Crackerjack Bull has maintained superb form for his Lethbridge trainer, coming off the Group 3 Cup Night Sprint victory at Sandown Park.
For Jordan Cooper, it was a memorable moment having bred, reared and trained the now Group 1 winner.
“It’s pretty special. Once it sinks in, it will be more surreal,” said an emotional Cooper post-race.
“When Crackerjack Bull missed the kick, I was a bit worried. Coming around the corner, knowing it’s a fairly long home straight, he was starting to pick a few off.
“I had to look up at the monitor to make sure he got up.”
Success in the Hobart Thousand was Crackerjack Bull’s 18th win taking his stake earnings up to $208,120.
“From the day we educated him to the first trial, he has always shown huge potential,” the trainer declared.
“If he learnt to begin with them it would help. We’re working on that. Hopefully there is more in store for him.”
Over the 38 career outings to date, Cooper has travelled the homebred fawn chaser across three states having made the Warrnambool, Geelong and Adelaide Cups as well as contesting the Melbourne Cup series.
He came into the Hobart Thousand Final as the slowest heat winner in 26.01s having his first look at the track.
“Such ripper feeling, after you whelp them down and rear the litter from day one. Doing it day-in, day-out with yourself, along with family, its pretty good to have results like this. It’s an awesome thrill,” Cooper said.
The R.W. (Bob) Brown Memorial Hobart Thousand Consolation, worth $7,440-to-the-winner, was taken out by Shane Whitney’s Hit The Switch defeating Nitro Harvey and Ready To Sting in 25.63s.
Alien Force claimed the Denise Fysh Memorial for Westbury owner/trainer Jillian Stamford and Raider’s Guide superbly won the Billy Grice Memorial for Mangalore trainer Gary Fahey.
