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Hunter’s Hot Streak
Thoroughbred horse racing is driven by results and statistics.
It is also, for those at the sharp end of the business, the bottom line.
Imagine, therefore, the satisfaction Jerome Hunter will have derived from his stable statistics for three months through November, December and January.
Hunter saddled 13 runners from November 4 to January 24 for nine winners and three placegetters, the only runner to miss a place Bel Thronum suffering from cardiac arrhythmia in the race but bouncing back to finish second at her next start.
Included in the sequence were five winners in succession, giving Hunter a strike-rate of 69% over 3-months - unmatched by anyone in Australia.
The quietly spoken horseman has trained his small but select team at Graebar Park on the Mornington Peninsula for businessman Graeme Gathercole since 2012, and prefers to let his horses do the talking. After all, horse whisperers should not have to shout.
He previously prepared four winners on the bounce in 2020 – Iknewshewasmine (twice), Our Gladiator and High Excalebration saluting between February 26 and March 12, highlighted by stakes success with Warrior Of Fire (2015 Hobart Guineas) and Belwazi (2019 Kensington Stakes).
“It’s a matter of placing the horses in the right places, it’s not rocket science,” Hunter said. “I’ve got some nice horses at the moment, which helps but certainly the last few months have been great.
“You go into everything learning. Never a day goes by when you don't learn from horses and people. Every horse is a different project. They're all made up of different things.
“I don’t have the numbers so I’ve got to make sure that we look after the horses because we haven’t got the horses waiting to come in if something goes amiss with the other ones. I’ve learned over the years to be a bit more patient,”
Early on Hunter made his name winning with sprinters however, he and Gathercole felt a change in tack was required, a move that was justified with the feature race wins with middle-distance filly Barb Raider.
Hunter trained Barb Raider’s mum, Graebarb “who was pretty slow, not much ability at all” and mated her to the Victoria Derby winner Rebel Raider, a son of Reset.
“I guess we wanted a change of scenery, racing is very, very competitive,” Hunter said. “We are excited to win any race but we were really keen to explore a range of horses. We had a few years going for sprint horses and decided ‘oh well, let’s have a crack at a few of the middle distance horses in the next couple of years.’
“You can be typecast. People say I’m a sprint trainer but my first two stakes-winners were over a distance. It just comes down to the horses you’ve got and are given.”
Hunter feeds Synergy and can see no reason to change. “It’s well balanced and all my horses look well,” Hunter said. “You could say all they have achieved is because of the feed, it’s what goes into them.
“When I get blood tests done I never have an issue, that’s why I don’t change. Every few months I get an offer to switch feed but why would I change.”
Rich Fortune winning at Moonee Valley in December was of particular satisfaction.
“I was going away on holidays to Hawaii the day after her race and I didn't want to run her while I was away," Hunter said. "I always underestimate my horses but I was confident she was above average.
"I only gave her one start in her first preparation as she was too immature and this preparation, I have been taking her to the races as the lead pony for my other runners just to get her mind right.
“At Moonee Valley she was falling asleep in the stalls, so I was really rapt to get the win. I’m aiming her at the Kevin Hayes Stakes in February. I know it’s a step up in class from a benchmark race to group level but she’s pretty exciting.”
Hunter’s most recent winner Royal Wazi had a poignant touch, being the first runner for Our Wazi, an unraced son of Choisir bred by Gathercole and used to cover some mares at Graebar.
“It’s a shame, especially as Our Wazi is a half-brother to Belwazi from a family we’ve had good success with,” Gathercole explained. “Unfortunately, we lost him last year as he developed a tumour so it was bittersweet for sure to see Royal Wazi win.”
Hunter’s winning run will be on the line at Cranbourne on Friday night when Charlotting, another daughter of Our Wazi, makes her debut and a reminder, as if any were still needed, that racing follows no very obvious script.
In Hunter’s usual understated way he is not getting ahead of himself. “She’s a nice filly but I think she is going to be better next time in and over a bit of ground but she’s there to run well and it would be terrific if she can get amongst the placings.”
Jerome Hunter’s Hot Streak
4 Nov 22 Won Our Redente Pakenham BM64
19 Nov 22 Won Our Redente Ballarat BM78
13 Dec 22 Won Bel Thronum Mornington Maiden
14 Dec 22 Won Black Zous Sandown Maiden
23 Dec 22 Won Tino’s Daughter Cranbourne 3yo Maiden
24 Dec 22 Won Rich Fortune Moonee Valley 3yo BM70
29 Dec 22 2nd Bel Thronum Cranbourne BM58
1 Jan 23 Won Lady Tino Mornington F&M Maiden
12 Jan 23 2nd Black Zous Pakenham Class 1
19 Jan 23 Won Lady Tino Pakenham F&M BM64
24 Jan 23 Won Royal Wazi Moe Maiden
24 Jan 23 3rd Our Warrior Moe Maiden