Horse In Focus - Jack The Bus

Jack The Bus

• Jack The Bus [1] won the Ladbrokes.com [2] Troytown Handicap Chase over 3m at Navan [3] on Sunday. He was held out the back patiently before gradually making his way through the field to join the leader at the second last, before taking it up at the last and staying on well to beat the talented Glenquest [4] by almost a length.

• Although he is a 10 year old, he started his racing carrer rather late so he is quite lightly raced for his age. He is owned by Seamus Murphy and trained and bred by Peter Casey [5] from Rath Stamullen Co. Meath, who both had big race doubles on the day with Hello Bud [6] winning the Beecher chase over at Aintree [7].

• The Old Vic gelding out of a Monas Jem mare started out with one run in 2006 where he was unplaced in a bumper. On his next start he won his bumper at Fairyhouse [8] on soft to heavy ground almost a year later in March 2007. He was then placed in a bumper at Navan [3] on heavy ground.

• He made his debut over hurdles in December that year at Limerick [9] and won by 4L's. He ran in four valuable hurdle races and won one at Navan [3] on heavy ground over 2m 7f beating the useful Oscar Time [10] by 2L and Ballytrim [11] by almost 4L's in March 2008.

• He made his debut over fences in December of that year but he unseated his rider at the last in a race won by Captain Cee Bee [12] at Naas [13]. On his next 4 starts in novice chases he fell, came 4th, unseated his rider again and finished 5th on his final start in November.

• He started his handicap carrer off a mark of 106 and duly won a 2m 3f Handicap Chase at Navan [3] on yielding to soft going. He followed that up by finishing 2nd to Saddlers Storm [14] over 3m in a valuable novice handicap chase over the same course.

• He was unplaced on his next start in a chase at Limerick [9] before finishing 3rd to Rubi Light [15] at Sligo [16] over 2m 4f. He then ran in the Cork [17] National at the Mallow venue and ran a great race to finish 5th over a trip slightly longer than ideal, before winning the Troytown on his next start.

• His next big target will be the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown [18] in December which is always a hugely competitive race but will be sure to give it a good go if he gets his favoured heavy ground.