OWNERS of Don’t Get Excited — including four racing enthusiasts from Swan Hill — could probably be forgiven if they’re not taking the advice implicit in the rising star’s name.
The four-year-old gelding is quickly making a name for itself in Melbourne thanks to three wins on the trot at Sandown.
And in Swan Hill, Wayne Gurnett, Peter Pickering, Brenton Gurnett and Nathan Hobson are four of the well and truly excited owners.
The gelding is trained by Cranbourne-based trainer Stephen Theodore after being initially based in Swan Hill.
With prize-money already exceeding $100,000 it is clear the gelding is headed for genuine superstardom.
Wayne Gurnett said big things were on the cards for the horse this spring.
“To have it win three metropolitan races in a row, [well-known trainer] David Hayes trained the runner-up and he said you don’t do that,” he said.
“He will go to a Saturday meeting in two weeks’ time — [Theodore] will make a decision in two or three days… [he may even race on] Crown Oaks Day.”
In its fledgling career, Don’t Get Excited has had five wins from 10 starts, two seconds and a third.
The three consecutive wins at Sandown have ranged in distance from 1000m to 1300m but the horse is expected to compete at longer distances in the future.
“He’ll be stepping up in distance. Steve Theodore expects him to get out to a mile or even beyond that,” he said.
The Swan Hill syndicate has been involved from the start since Hobson bought the horse as a yearling.
And that involvement is not about to end despite a substantial offer from Hong Kong interests.
Gurnett said yesterday the offer — well into six figures — had been officially rejected by the owners.
“We won’t get another horse like him,” Gurnett said.
Meanwhile, Sunday sees the transfer of a Bendigo race meeting to the Swan Hill Racecourse due to major infrastructure work.
The Bendigo Jockey Club is currently undergoing a $770,000 upgrade of its irrigation system and is therefore is unable to undertake these works without affecting one of their programmed meetings.
As a result Racing Victoria has announced the meeting will be transferred to Swan Hill with the eight race program slightly amended to suit the Swan Hill course.
As a result of the transferred meeting the Swan Hill Jockey Club are pleased to announce they will be opening up the gates and offering free admission to all patrons this Sunday.
