Kennelmates on the verge for Jacobsen

By Isaac Murphy

Brisbane trainer Rob Jacobsen has a maximum of four dogs at once, and this week he sees half his kennel line up in Group company.

With Rowdy Roddy in the Group 1 National Derby at Wentworth Park on Saturday, and Crazy Cool in the Group 3 Golden Ticket at Albion Park Thursday night, understandably Jacobsen is still pinching himself ahead of the biggest week in his training life.

“It’s a dream come true, I’ve got a house block where the Council allows me four dogs and it’s my job to turn them into city and Group dogs,” he said.

“To have done that is satisfying but I’d love to close the deal.

“I don’t take it for granted, I’m blessed with two guns now but in sixth months’ time I might not be able to knock off a maiden at Albion Park.

“When I was younger, I used to train as a hobby but there was never the prizemoney to sustain a living.

“I’m still working but to be in the position where you’re looking at six figures for following your passion is amazing.”

Rowdy Roddy went to last week’s National Derby heats with some fair form behind him after running fourth in the Group 2 Golden Sands, but in winning his heat he left plenty of those south of the border in shock.

“He’s a dog who’s always run time, his 395-metre debut was a couple of lengths outside the track record and he’s been in some tough races since,” Jacobsen said.

“It was a big ask but I sent him down with some confidence.

“There’s no sugar-coating it, his record isn’t great at this time in his career but I always knew it was a matter of when not if with him and it’s paid off.

“The trainer I have taking care of him down there for me Rob Tyler said there were people coming from everywhere after the heats says how on earth has this bloke only won two races - it was a hell of a run.”

The dog took care of his Group 1 competitors like an odds-on pop in Friday’s heats, going straight to the front from box four and Jacobsen says he will only go better.

“The craziest part was that it was his first look down there, you don’t see them go out and run 29.8 - I can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for the Final,” he said.

“He was the second quickest heat winner (29.8) with the fastest run home of the night, he was a bit flat in the middle section - which is usually his best - so I’m hoping we can pick up some time there.

“First split he can be hit and miss, but once he clicks into gear, he carries that momentum right through the line over the 500.”

Jacobsen is hoping his box manners are on point again this week, and if so, he can’t see anything stopping him going even quicker.

“The box draw is a little bit tricky, Teddy The Bear in box three likes to jump right, so he’ll have be on his A-game early like he was last week,” he said.

“With natural improvement from the week down there and a box-to-box at the track before Saturday night I think he can run 29.6 and if they go quicker than that and beat him, then hats off to the competition.”

“He’s got a couple of options, ideally I’d love to see him jump and lead them again but if he misses it, he can still drop to the fence and has the fastest run home of the field.”

Jacobsen is trying to bring the trophy to Queensland for a second consecutive year after Oh Mickey’s 2020 effort and although things went smoothly, the dog has had to answer plenty of questions.

“I knew he’d stack up ability wise, but I was a bit concerned he might suffer from a bit of separation anxiety - he’s been with me his whole life and is a bit timid,” he said.

“In the Golden Sands Final, he was always looking back at me saying what’s going on, so to see him travel and run the best race of his career was pretty satisfying.

“We call him Rowdy Roddy because he never shuts up at home, but funnily enough Rob told me he hasn’t heard a peep out of him down there - maybe he’s suited to the bigger kennel.”

Jacobsen said one of the advantages of having the smaller team was getting an early read on a dog and he knew from the outset that Rowdy Roddy was made for the big stage.

“After he won his Maiden in 22.42, I had a couple of options with him; pick up his Novice and go through the easier grades over the short course and try to pinch all the wins I could, but his long-term prospects were what I was looking at,” he said.

“That’s why his record is what it is, I’ve put him in races like the Rising Stars, Ipswich Cup and the Queensland Derby because I knew with maturity that’s the class of dog he was.

“Now he has been through all those, he’s going to line up next year feeling right at home - we might even pinch a National Derby before then.”

Jacobsen will be forced to watch his Group 1 shot from the comfort of his couch, but he will be front and centre Thursday night at headquarters when Crazy Cool attempts to run the hands off the clock in the Group 3 Golden Ticket.

“Untouched I’ve got no doubt she’ll run 29.6 or better, but in her last couple of Group finals she’s found a way to just miss out or find bad luck, so even in a two-dog match race I’ll be nervous,” he said.

“She’s been very hard done by beaten by Pump It a half-length in the Group 2 Futurity and third in the Group 2 Golden Sands when the two dog jumped and took our run early.

“The Golden Ticket is a different series, it’s a bold statement but put her against any dog when she draws the fence and I think she wins the series.”

Crazy Cool has drawn Kev Macintosh’s Cheap Wine in her match race, and Jacobsen is hoping she can handle business early and not get in a battle for the front.

“If she jumps and leads Cheap Wine from box three, she wins her match race hands down, that bitch can jump on her night though and I don’t want to get stuck outside her which will cost us overall time,” he said.

“Box three versus box one doesn’t seem like much, but we’re talking about hundredths of a second between these dogs and even being stuck one off could slide you down the board.

“My ideal scenario is she gets a good look at the bunny from three, explodes out like she can and puts 29.6 on the board - that puts a lot of pressure on the dogs in the heats to follow.”