Jumal To Put Unbeaten Record On The Line

Unbeaten juvenile Jumal (NZ) (Downbytheseaside) will put his record on the line in Friday’s $200,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million 6 2YO C&G Mobile Pace (1980m) at Addington Raceway.

Purchased by trainer Steven Reid out of Beaudiene Breeding’s 2024 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft for $95,000, Jumal has gone on to win all five of his starts to date, including the Group One Diamond Creek Farm 2YO Classic (2200m) in April.

The son of Downbytheseaside pleased Reid with his trial win over 2000m last week and he believes his colt is on song for Friday’s feature.

“He went to the trials last Thursday and trialled really well,” Reid said. “I gave him a quiet week after he won last start, he had quite a hard run, but he bounced back and his work has been great. Touch wood, he seems on target.”

Jumal has drawn four on the second line and will follow out last-start winner Freeze Frame (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

“It’s (draw) not terrific, but it’s not terrible,” Reid said. “We are following out a horse with a bit of gate speed, so that sort of negates the bad barrier a little bit.”

Jumal has made a big impression on Reid, who is excited about his prospects and rates him among the best horses he has trained.

“He has pretty much got the all-round game,” Reid said. “He sat in at the trials the other day and they ran home in 55 and he blazed over the top. He can stay. I can’t really say that anything is his downfall at this stage. 

“I think that as long as he keeps on improving, which I can’t see any reason why he won’t, he should just keep getting better and better.

“I think he sits right at the top of the tree (of the horses I have trained), and the only reason I say that is because I never trained Monkey King later on in his career. Gold Ace was a very good three-year-old, he wasn’t super good at two, so this guy is probably ahead of Gold Ace. He is probably on a par with Baileys Dream at the same stage, Baileys Dream was a very good juvenile. He certainly is right up there.”

Reid will also line-up Smackdown (NZ) (Downbytheseaside) in the $150,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million 6 2YO Fillies Mobile Pace (1980m).

“I am happy with her,” Reid said. “She was going to go to Auckland for the Caduceus but I had a bit of an issue with her so she missed a bit of work. I knew she would need the run the other night in the Sires’ Stakes heat and she drew badly. 

“She has got the blinds back on this week and she has got a decent draw (2). I think she is going to give it a decent shake.”

Smackdown was purchased by Jordash Breeding Trust out of Woodlands Stud’s 2023 NZB Standardbred National Weanling Sale draft for $45,000.