TRAINER Symon Wilde has adopted a wait and see policy with star jumper Gold Medals in the lead-up to the Brierly and Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase next month.
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For the past two years, Wilde has used the Brierly Steeplechase on the opening day of the three-day carnival as a lead for Gold Medals into the Grand Annual Steeplechase on the final day.
But this year, under the revamped carnival concept, the two features are to be run on the Tuesday.
Gold Medals won the 2018 Brierly-Grand Annual double before running second in both races last year.
Wilde said he will wait until the last minute to decide which race the tough jumper will run in next month.
"Things have really changed this year," he said.
"In an ideal world I would love to follow the same path we've had for the last two years run Gold Medals in the Brierly and then back him up in the Annual, but the world has changed.
"I'm not sure which race he will run in this year.
"Part of me says the Brierly, while the other half says go straight into the Grand Annual.
"We'll work out which jumps race he's to run in on the day of the acceptances for the Brierly and the Grand Annual."
The 10-year-old was unplaced in a flat race over 2700 metres at Stawell on Sunday.
Wilde said Gold Medals will not run in another race until either the Brierly or Grand Annual.
"I had contemplated running Gold Medals in next Sunday's Terang Cup, but I've shelved those plans for now," he said.
"We'll send him around in a steeplechase school at Warrnambool later this month before going into one of the two jumps features."
From 17 jumps starts, Gold Medals has won six races and been in the minor placegetters' stall on eight occasions.
BOUNCE BACK
WARRNAMBOOL trained La Tesora made amends for a last start failure at Naracoorte with a win in a benchmark 58 over 1000 metres at Warracknabeal on Saturday.
La Tesora had no luck when sent out favourite at Naracoorte.
His trainer, Colin Chandler, said the effort was best forgotten.
"She just had no luck at her last start," Chandler said.
"I came here quietly confident she would run well.
"Her work had improved slightly with the Naracoorte run under her belt.
"I've got to give credit to Samuel Payne. He rode her very well.
"Undoubtedly drawing a good barrier helped her chances of winning at Warracknabeal.
"She's no world beater but she's honest.
"She's won two of five starts for me, which is a great result."
La Tesora took her stake earnings to more than $60,000 with her victory on Saturday.
FINE RUN
RUPTURE notched up his second country cup victory, taking out the Warracknabeal Cup on Saturday.
The Paul Preusker-trained Rupture defeated Vungers and Fast Plan in the $40,000 race.
The lightly raced six-year-old won the Hamilton Cup last October.
Preusker wants to run Rupture in the $225,000 Warrnambool Cup next month.
However, the respected horseman revealed he's facing a race against time to have the stayer ready for the feature flat race at Warrnambool.
"It was a good first-up win to take out the Warracknabeal Cup by Rupture, but I'm not sure I'll have him right for the Warrnambool Cup," Preusker said.
"The Warrnambool Cup is just coming up a bit quick but we'll just see what happens.
"I might send him to Flemington on Anzac Day for a 1700 metre race to get him ready for Warrnambool. I'll just wait and see how Rupture pulls up before making any decision.
"I really want to win a Warrnambool Cup and I think Rupture is the ideal horse to win the race, but I don't want to rush him."
Rupture has won eight of his 25 starts.
MEECH OUT
TOP jockey Linda Meech will be on the sidelines for 14 meetings after pleading guilty to a careless riding charge on Costa Maya at Stawell on Sunday.
Stewards found that, approaching the 300m mark, Meech allowed her mount to shift out when insufficiently clear of Romantic Voyage, which clipped heels, blundered and almost dislodged its jockey.
Meech is out from midnight Sunday, April 12 to Thursday, April 23.
Stewards took into account her guilty plea, exceptional record (this was her first suspension since July 2018) and deemed the carelessness to be in the high range.
Three jockeys were suspended after the Warracknabeal meeting on Saturday.
Apprentice jockey Tatum Bull, Jason Baldock and Jaden Lloyd will spend various times on the sidelines due to riding indiscretions.
Bull pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge following her winning ride on Offtap. She was suspended for seven meetings. Her suspension starts midnight Sunday, April 19 and ends Friday, April 24.
Baldock was found guilty of a charge of careless riding. His suspension began on Saturday, April 11 and expires midnight Friday, 17 April.
Lloyd pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge. He's out from midnight Saturday, April 18 and returns Saturday, April 24.
