With six of his 11 wins in stands, Ultimate Major is a standing-start specialist who looks a major hope off the front in the $25,000 Mount Eden-No Dill Christmas Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park mon Friday night.
Trained at Capel by Andrew de Campo, Ultimate Major will be driven by his son Aiden, who said that the New Zealand-bred six-year-old would be far better suited in a stand this week than he was when a sound third behind Galactic Star in a mobile event last Friday night.
“His run last week probably wasn’t his best run,” Aiden de Campo said. “He was hanging real badly when he was off the track in the last lap. He’ll be better suited back to a stand and off the front.
“He definitely can be competitive against the better-performed runners on Friday night. He’s got a good stand record and if he does happen to lead I reckon he’ll be amongst the money, for sure.
“Being in front at Gloucester Park is a huge plus. He’s a great leader who has won two of his last four by leading. Being in front is his ideal position.
”He’s a temperamental horse who is getting better and better. The run in a mobile last week has conditioned him up well for this week’s race.”
Last week Ultimate Major, a winner of three races (two in stands from four starts as a three-year-old in New Zealand), performed strongly to run home determinedly, out wide, from eighth at the bell to finish third behind the runaway winner Galactic Star.
At Bunbury the previous Saturday night he started from 10m and dashed to the front after 600m before setting a solid pace and winning from Waltzing With Cullen and Sky Art over 2503m.
Waltzing With Cullen, the sole runner off 20m on Friday night, and the 30m co-backmarkers This Time Dylan and Shardons Rocket appear the main dangers to Ultimate Major.
Waltzing With Cullen, a standing-start specialist trained by Dylan Egerton-Green, will be driven by Madison Brown. The eight-year-old is in sparkling form, with his six starts in his current preparation producing two wins, two seconds and two thirds.
“Waltzing With Cullen is a gutsy horse who should perform well,” said Egerton-Green. “He beat This Time Dylan when he won at Pinjarra four starts ago and at his latest start he was third to Ultimate Major after sitting parked outside of him.”
Veterans This Time Dylan and Shardons Rocket are favourably handicapped off 30m and are capable of bold efforts.
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