Racing: Australian jumper heads for Cheltenham

MELBOURNE - Ballarat-trained jumper Gorge will have his last start at Sandown today before heading to two of the world's greatest jumps meetings at Cheltenham and Aintree.

The 7-year-old and his workmate and travelling companion Onajet will contest the Castletown Handicap (3000m) before leaving for England early next month.

Trainer Anthony Cosgriff said an idea on a blog on the Racing Post website had "snowballed" attracting sponsorships from the Cheltenham Festival and the UK's TAB equivalent Totesport, to make the unlikely trip a reality.

"It started from nothing really," Cosgriff said. "It was just from an idea that snowballed."

Gorge's five jumps' starts include a maiden hurdle win at Warrnambool and fourths in last year's Lachal and Grand National Hurdles.

He will have his first hurdle start in England at Kelso on March 5 before contesting a novice steeplechase at the Cheltenham Gold Cup Day on March 19, three weeks before going to Aintree for a similar race in Grand National week.

Cosgriff said that through the blog Gorge had captured the imagination of a lot of people in England as he would be the first Australian-trained horse to compete at the four-day Cheltenham Festival and Aintree.

"Cheltenham is such a big meeting and people get so excited for months and months in advance so I suppose we are tapping into that," Cosgriff said.

He said Gorge and Onajet would be based at the North Yorkshire stables of his former boss Mark Johnston, who is best known to Australians as the trainer of Melbourne Cup runners Yavana's Pace, Double Trigger and Quick Ransom.

Cosgriff said it would take a lot of pressure off knowing that Johnston, who he worked for as his assistant for four years, would be looking after the horses until he arrives.

He said the longer races and softer ground in England would suit Gorge.

"Although we thought we would have fun with him this year [in Melbourne], we thought he would be wasted to some degree," Cosgriff said.

"The horse showed plenty of ability over hurdles but he really needs three miles and there no races that far here.

"He is also very good in bottomless ground but that is increasingly rare these days as well."

Cosgriff said the only concern was how well Gorge adjusted to the English jumps. "It would have been nice to take on one of the really big races over there but there is going to be a question mark to how our form stands up to what's required there.

"I want to give him one start over their hurdles before Cheltenham because their jumps are slightly different to ours and slightly stiffer."

Cosgriff said Gorge, who won over 2400m at Hanging Rock on New Year's Day, would run well today but he was only a winning hope on a wet track.

"Onajet might be well suited in England but he doesn't have the class of Gorge, so we are not expecting much from him," Cosgriff said.

- AAP