By Ray Hickson
When trainer Nick Olive picked up a nine-start maiden from Victoria who hadn’t been placed in his career the last thing he could have expected was a seven-length win at his stable debut.
But that’s exactly the story of Snappy Jim, who set connections back around $7000 in an online sale and will look to go back to back in the Sunshine Drycleaners Plate (1600m) at Narrandera on Sunday.
The gelding was a little wayward in his work when he arrived in Canberra but it didn’t take too long for him to thrive at Olive’s base and in the space of 90 seconds on September 17 paid back close to double his purchase price.
“We bought him about five weeks ago and he came in great order but the first time he galloped he wanted to hang off,” Olive said. “Then he started working the house down and he raced like that the other day.
“I don’t know if he beat much, it’ll be interesting to see how he goes on Sunday but it was a good win for sure.”
As impressive as he was at Wagga, where he went forward from a wide gate to lead and extended away in heavy ground in a 1400m maiden, Olive said he’d just like to see the four-year-old back up the performance.
He’s giving every indication at home that he can and a rise in distance to the mile holds no fears for the trainer and, significantly, he only faces a modest class hike into a Class 1 and Maiden event.
“I’ve fallen into that trap too many times after they win like he did,” he said. “But I think it is a good race for him and moving to Narrandera probably suits him a bit better than Cootamundra would too.”
Stablemate Lady Tabloid also has a record of one win from 10 starts but that win was back on debut in June last year and Olive is confident he’s found a nice race for her in the Elders Narrandera And Coleambally Handicap (1200m).
The five-year-old had her first run for six months when beaten half a length on heavy ground at Canberra two weeks ago.
Supplied by Racing NSW
