JACKED UP JUSTIFIES HIS SHORT-PRICED ODDS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, June 25, 2022

A two-year-old winner is always a plus for any stable.

It generally indicates the stable has something to work with and that certainly looks to be the case with the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Jacked Up after his win in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over the 860m dash at Gatton on June 25.

Jacked Up had made his debut three weeks earlier at Toowoomba where he finished second to Naughty Words.

The son of Better Than Ready was fancied to win on that occasion (he started favourite at $2.10).

He raced to a clear lead in the early part and was a tearaway four length leader coming to the home turn.

Halfway up the straight it still looked like Jacked Up would lead a procession home but, we were all about to witness a quite extraordinary finishing effort from the Mark Currie trained Mighty Words.

This filly, who raced well back in the field for much of the trip and who cornered four wide and straightened still five lengths behind Jacked Up, simply unleashed in the home straight.

Even though Naughty Words didn’t keep a straight course … he was in the clear but swung in dramatically looking for the rail … he surged to the lead to leave Jacked Up, in second place, wondering what happened.

It had taken an exceptional effort to beat him.

Jacked Up would make no mistake in his second start … the Gatton run on June 25.

Jacked up was ordinarily away at the break, but his natural early speed soon carried him to the head of affairs.

This time his rivals stayed in close attendance, placing Jacked Up under some pressure throughout the running (in the process providing him with valuable racing experience), but there was no chink in the armour as Jacked Up maintained his purposeful gallop all the way to the line to claim his first career win by a margin of just under a length.

Jake Molloy did the honours in the saddle and Jacked Up repaid the faith of those prepared to take the shorts odds of $1.50.

A winner is a winner!

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