Given his strong association with Warrnambool it was perhaps fitting that, on the eve of the famous May Racing Carnival, former jumps horse turned showjumper Bashboy claimed the Off The Track Championship at the Victorian Jumping State Titles.
Bashboy won his first ever race over hurdles at Warrnambool during the 2010 May Racing Carnival, and at the same venue six years later he brought the curtain down on an illustrious career which yielded more than $1 million in prizemoney - a relatively rare feat for a jumps horse.
In between times, Bashboy won a grand total of 18 races for his trainer Ciaron Maher including six over the jumps at Warrnambool, headlined by his hat-trick of victories in the prestigious Thackeray Steeplechase (3450m) from 2013-2015.
Following his retirement in 2016, he was sent to Isabella Lloyd to be retrained for the next phase of his career in equestrianism. The two struck up an instant rapport, and together they have achieved some notable results including last weekend’s big win at Werribee Park.
It was the second year the OTT Championship has been held at the Victorian Jumping State Titles, with Jamieson - the son of So You Think who won three times during his racing career - taking out the inaugural competition in 2021.
A total of 30 entrants competed this year, with Anthony Bentley and his mount Aleksandr Meerkat finishing runner-up and Alice Lawrence partnering with Mucho Mucho Deniro to round out the top three.
But it was all honours with Bashboy and Lloyd, who set a fierce pace over the obstacles to complete the course in a time of just 38.42 seconds.
“Throughout the last 12 months, clubs have been running OTT titles and the Jumping Victoria State Titles provide an opportunity for a champion to be crowned for the season,” said the Event Director, Clint Rose.
“There has been great buy-in from competitors for the OTT classes at club events, and it’s exciting to see Off The Track horses holding their own against the sport specific bred horses. We’re very grateful for Racing Victoria’s continued support of this major event and for OTTs in general.”