Forgotten jumper Bee Tee Junior (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu) is edging closer to a return over obstacles, with another tilt at the Grand National Chase (4500m) at Ballarat firmly on the agenda.
Trainer Rachael Cunningham reported that the 2020 National Chase winner, who missed the entire 2021 season due to injury, was on track for jumping return in early July, with the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle (3200m) or Thackeray Chase (3450m) at Warrnambool shaping as the likely options.
After two quiet runs on the flat, the 10-year-old made a low key return at the Cranbourne jumps trials on Thursday in what was his first public piece of jumping since August 2020.
Bee Tee Junior jumped cleanly under jockey Aaron Kuru during the 2800m hitout, finishing second to one-time Melbourne Cup favourite Constantinople (Galileo) who, after finishing third in the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) last start, appears set to embark on a jumping career.
“I think he’s going super,” Cunningham said of Bee Tee Junior.
“I’ve been keeping the handbrake on but it’s coming to the time now where we just have to roll with our normal program that we set last year before he went amiss.
“He’ll have another flat run next week and then he’ll have another jumps trial over 2800m.
“I still wasn’t looking at him going jumping until Lafferty Day which is in early July.
“He’ll probably only have four jumps races this season but, in saying that, I might change plans with whether he has a couple of hurdle runs before he goes chasing or whether he goes chasing straight away.
“I’d like to go via the National Hurdle into the National Chase but it will depend on how he jumps the new hurdles, because he hasn’t raced over those before.”
While she admits his two flat runs at Mornington in March and Geelong in April might not immediately fill punters with confidence Bee Tee Junior has returned the same horse he was prior to the injury, Cunningham is optimistic a return to jumps will prompt a return to his old form.
“He’s had a couple of, what would appear to be disappointing flat runs, not that I think jumpers’ flat form is that relevant but I think the old boy has lost a lot of interest on the flat,” se said.
“I’ve just been trying to focus on how he’s been pulling up from his gallops and his schooling.
“His gallops have actually been brilliant so while he’s gone to the races and looked disappointing, he’s coming off a massive spell.
“You’re always hesitant once they’ve had a bit of an injury – you look after them so much – but if he’s not going to stand up now, he’s not going to stand up.”
