Impressive Wagga Pacers Cup Prelude winner Jay Dee Zed is no guarantee to start in the Group Three feature next weekend.
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The Lyn Hancock-trained gelding won by 22.9 metres on Tuesday to be exempt from the ballot for the Wagga Pacers Cup.
However reinsman Leon Hancock wasn’t sure if they would throw their hat in the ring in the $30,000 race.
“It is a different grade but he has qualified so we probably will have to,” Hancock said.
“He was nominated for the Albury Cup but didn’t get a run, which we weren’t disappointed about, and it is preferential race on class so if you draw good you might get a chance at it.”
The Hancocks have already caused one boilover in the Wagga Pacers Cup.
The mother and son team combined when Manaranka won at bolters odds in 2005 and defeated million dollar earner Double Identity in the process.
Tuesday night’s race changed complexion with $2 favourite Lets Katchmeifucan galloped coming into the first turn.
He was leading at the time and caused plenty of interference and allowed Jay Dee Zed ($8.20) to take the lead.
While a noted front runner, Hancock was not sure if was going to suit over the marathon 2575-metre trip.
But in the end he had plenty on his rivals.
He went on to defeat Rich Virgin ($28.70), who will also be exempt from the ballot in the Wagga Pacers Cup, with Lets Katchmeifucan recovering to finish third.
Hancock thought the shuffle up worked to their favour.
“It helped big time when the one horse galloped and the main dangers got interfered with and gave us the front,” Hancock said.
“We just ran him them along.
“He likes being up in front but I thought over the 2500 we had a better chance of following the one, sitting on them and running a place or if he got the right luck you never you.”
Coming to the Hancock stable after 18 months off the track, they’ve had a nice ride with the seven-year-old.
He’s now won eight races for them plus been placed another 11 times.
“He’s been doing a great job since he came,” Hancock said.
“He was a C1 horse and now he’s a C7 horse.
“He is always competitive in whichever race he is in.
“He probably has to go to Melbourne or somewhere to have a go at a M0.”
Hancock said he took a lot of work to get him back going after a long break but a chiropractor helped sort out some of his galloping issues.
The winning connections also received a $1000 bonus with Jay Dee Zed the jackpot horse.
The Wagga Pacers Cup meeting on March 3.
