Monday, 7 December 2009:
Former top Australian jumper Ginolad will launch his English racing career in a maiden steeplechase at Fontwell Park on Tuesday.
Formerly trained by Aaron Purcell, Ginolad is now in the care of Venetia Williams who won this year's Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree with 100-1 outsider Mon Mome.
Purcell still part-owns nine-year-old Ginolad with his family and has leased a half share to a group of Australian jumps racing fans.
They hope Ginolad can measure up to England's best and contest the Cheltenham and Aintree jumps festivals in March and April next year to add to the fairytale which has developed since he was bought at auction for just $900.
Ginolad, winner of 2008 Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool and the Grand National Steeplechase (4350) at Flemington, will have his first start since finishing sixth in Nakayama Grand Jump (4250m) in Japan last April when he lines up in a field of 16 in the Tiana Honey Watson Memorial Fund Beginners' Chase (4400m).
"It will be interesting to see how he goes," Purcell said.
He said that being new to England's big fences, Ginolad was given a maiden steeplechase rating.
"He went over there with a reasonably high rating and Venetia was a bit concerned he was going to have take on better horses straight away," Purcell said.
"But with the maiden rating it is going to make life a lot easier for him."
Ginolad will carry 70kg in Tuesday's race under a set weight scale and Purcell said his opposition were mainly hurdlers turning to steeplechasing.
"Venetia can't really say how he will go but she says he's fit," Purcell said.
Ginolad was to have had his first race start in England at Plumpton last Tuesday but the meeting was rained out.
Purcell said Ginolad only made the trip to England because of the tight quarantine regulations which prevented him going straight back to Australia from Japan after the Grand Jump.
He said now he was in England who would not return to Australia where the options were limited.
"He is at the top of the handicaps over here now and he needs it to be a heavy nine or 10 track to be competitive," Purcell said.
Ginolad would give Australian jumps fans something to cheer about with the sport's supporters trying to overturn a jumps racing ban in Victoria at the end of the 2010 season.
Purcell believes Ginolad will adapt to the tougher jumps and more severe staying tests in England.
"He handles the wet tracks here but the English wet tracks are different, he jumps well here but the English jumps are different, and he stays well here but the English stayers are different," Purcell said.
