Jagger Moves and Jacobsen score upset Bundaberg Cup victory

By Jordan Gerrans

A tough staying performance from Jagger Moves has handed visiting trainer Robert Jacobsen the Group 3 Bundaberg Cup for 2022.

The dog was not fancied in the heats or the Final – which was run for $57,500 on Monday afternoon – but Jagger Moves found an extra gear over the closing stages of the 550 metre Cup distance to land the prize.

The victory was the longest trip Jagger Moves has ever won over, stopping the clock in 31.15 seconds.

Jagger Moves started as a $14 chance in the heats just seven days before running into second-place behind Sunshine Delight to qualify for the decider.

Again, Jagger Moves was not fancied in the Final on Monday afternoon – jumping as a $15 hope with the TAB from box six – but he did enough late to wear down race favourite Lucky Lance.

Lucky Lance led from box one for much of the 550 metre journey and was going strongly until the final stages where he began to tire and Jagger Moves took over in the last few strides.

"He is tenacious the little bugger," Jacobsen said.

"You could feel he was on today and I felt he might go good.

"He has miles of ability, he is only a little fella and he has the heart as big as a horse.

"I did not think he was going to get the leader down the back but he eventually got there."

Lucky Lance held on for second with Sunshine Delight running into third slot with Impact – who is trained by Kevin Ellis - rounding out the top four.

Jacobsen also qualified kennel mate He’s So Cool for the feature Bundaberg race, who also ran second in a heat the week prior, before finishing sixth in the Final, just over eight lengths behind his kennel mate. 

It was a stunning day for the Summerholm-based kennel of Jacobsen, preparing a winning treble, with Desley's Girl and Capture Bart also getting the money in lead-up races to the Cup.

The white and black dog, Jagger Moves, started his racing career in the Apple Isle, winning on debut for trainer Michael Sherriff, and that was where he would remain for his first 14 starts, before relocating to Queensland.

Jacobsen bred the litter and sent Jagger Moves to Tasmania for the early stages of his racing career.

"He was always going to come back to Queensland," he said. 

Jagger Moves was competitive through the recent Golden Greys Summer Carnival, finishing sixth in the Group 1 Gold Bullion Final at Albion Park.

From a Jagger Swagger and Kept Under Wraps litter, Jagger Moves has now 14 career races from 33 starts.

The prize money was increased for the Bundaberg Cup Final this year to $57,500 ($40,000 to the winner) with the event now progressing towards Group 2 status in three years’ time.