Schooling over fences has brought a new lease on life for Mahoe (NZ) (Alamosa), with the six-year-old gelding having won two of his last three races.
Formerly trained by Jon Miller, the son of Alamosa had won three races for the Cambridge horseman before he was bought by Isdale at the start of the year on the advice of leading jumps jockey Shaun Phelan.
“I was looking for another jumper to replace Aigne and Shaun Phelan pointed this horse out and said Jon Miller was finishing with him. Shaun suggested to give him a crack because he reckons milers make the best jumpers,” Isdale said.
“I took him aboard and we have put him over the jumps and it has turned him around, he has won two of his last three.”
Isdale is hoping he can extend that winning sequence to three when he heads to Pukekohe on Wednesday to contest the Auckland Co-op Taxis 2100, for which he is a $2.80 favourite with TAB bookmakers.
While pleased with his progress on the flat, Isdale is looking forward to commencing his jumping career in the coming months.
“He doesn’t really like wet tracks, but we will try and get his (jumping) ticket and aim him for the maiden at Hastings on a drier track,” he said.
“I love jumps racing, it is quite exciting and I always love to have one.”
Later on the card, Isdale will line-up promising three-year-old Lucky Bay (NZ) (Sweynesse) in the Ellerslie Events 1600.
The son of Sweynesse has placed in two of his three starts to date and is set to head to Trentham next month for the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) before a possible trip across the Tasman.
“He was unlucky last start (when third over 2200m at Hastings),” Isdale said. “He got a nice run and then all of a sudden he was five lengths behind the second-to-last horse. I thought he had broken down and then he just flew home.
“I really wanted him to win last start to have a runner in the (New Zealand) Derby (Gr.1, 2400m), but it wasn’t meant to be. It is good to see the form out of that race has stacked up with Zachery (winner) winning again on Saturday.
“I am wanting to see him hit the line well (on Wednesday) and then he will go to the Manawatu Classic. If he were to run a placing in the Manawatu Classic, we will probably look at taking him to Brisbane (for the Queensland Winter Carnival), but whether he stays with me or goes to (Chris) Waller’s (leading Sydney trainer) I am not sure.”
Another stable runner that could be destined to head to Queensland is Group Three performer Beebeep (NZ) (Vespa).
The four-year-old daughter of Vespa was runner-up fresh-up over 1100m at Trentham earlier this month and is set to head to Tauranga on Saturday where she will contest the Triton Pacific Owens Plate (1200m).
“It looks like a good race for her,” Isdale said. “It is not a big field and she will get nice weight relief with Tayla Mitchell set to ride her. It will be a big drop down from the 58kg she carried the other day.
“We will just get this race out of the way and then look for a stakes race. She may head to Brisbane all things going well for the Dane Ripper (Gr.2, 1300m), we have just got to get her rating up a little higher over here.”
Further south on Saturday, stablemate Funfetti (NZ) (Embellish) will be looking to regain some confidence in the Southern Alps Golden Ticket (1600m) at Riccarton.
“She raced two weeks ago down there (Wingatui) and got put through the rail (in the Listed Airfreight Stakes, 1400m), so I have put her back to a (rating) 65 to get her confidence up and then she will go to the NZB Insurance Stakes (Listed, 1600m) in two weeks.”
Meanwhile, Isdale has been pleased with the way Is That So (NZ) (Sufficient) has come through his runner-up performance behind Our Echo in last Saturday’s Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham.
“He has come through it really well and has gone to the water-walker for a week,” he said. “He went well, the track was probably a touch too wet for him, but I don’t think he would have beaten the other horse.
“He backed up two weeks in a row, so he deserves some time off.”
