Detonator Jack returns to winning form at Flemington

The form indicators did not suggest a positive outcome for Detonator Jack in the VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final, yet a combination of circumstances enabled the seven-year-old to perform at his peak.

Having been winless for 952 days prior, Detonator Jack finished without beating a rival in the David Bourke Handicap at his most recent outing. He then made a significant leap forward third-up to secure Saturday's Listed mile contest by a short neck from Freedom Rally ($31), with Just Folk ($15) a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.

Marketed at $20 by leading Aussie betting sites with jockey John Allen aboard, Detonator Jack celebrated his first triumph since winning The Gong at Kembla Grange in November 2023. National assistant trainer Jack Turnbull explained that the stable had employed a variety of training methods to restore the horse's former effectiveness.

"There were a lot of elements of the race today that worked for Jack in the sense of fitness, he was third up, blinkers were on, we got a nice cut in the ground and we drew low," Turnbull said. "Still a little bit hesitant whether or not he wanted to be there or not, but credit to the whole team, we've been playing around them at home, tread, jumping, different track gallops, just trying to rejuvenate him and we got it done."

"Tread training was a big factor, Track Kat (Katrina Anderson) had a bit to do with him there, and we've just schooled him down at Cranbourne. Obviously it's been a long time between drinks, but we've kept saying that at home he's wanted to be there, and he wants to do it, we just hadn't seen it race day."

Turnbull also pointed to the specific engagement of John Allen, who had partnered the horse to victory three times earlier in his career. However, Allen expressed reservations about the horse's capacity to turn his form around so rapidly.

"He's always had good ability and he's obviously won better races than today," Allen stated. "I was very sceptical looking at his run the last day, I thought it was very plain, but Ciaron said he'd changed a few things up during the week and done a bit of schooling with him and stuff, just trying to sharpen him up and it's certainly done the trick."

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