Racing: Easy option to pay off

Photo / Thinkstock

Trainer Jarrod McLean is happy with his decision to keep Maythehorsebemagic away from the best hurdlers at Bendigo and instead continue the gelding's Grand National campaign in a jumps race at Sandown today.

Maythehorsebemagic lines up in the Caulfield Spring Dining On Sale Hurdle (3300m) with the plan to then tackle the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle at Warrnambool on Sunday week as a lead-up to the Grand National Hurdle.

McLean opted to dodge Sunday's Brendan Drechsler Hurdle at Bendigo, won by Gotta Take Care from Wells and Black And Bent, because of the set weights and penalties conditions.

"At the set weights and penalties I just thought he would be disadvantaged against the better ones," McLean said yesterday.

"I would prefer to take on the better ones in the handicaps."

Maythehorsebemagic, winner of a hurdle race at May's Warrnambool carnival, missed a scheduled jumps start in the Australian Hurdle at the start of the month when the Sandown meeting was washed out.

The gelding had a start on the flat at Flemington last Saturday week to keep ticking over.

"It was disappointing to miss the Australian Hurdle because I was quite confident of him being right in the mix," McLean said.

"So if I rated him a chance in the Australian Hurdle he would have to be a good chance tomorrow."

The field for today's race includes the Patrick Payne-trained Fieldmaster, who did plenty wrong during his maiden hurdle win at Warrnambool last week.

- AAP