Jumal’s ready despite light lead-up
Garrick Knight - Raceform • November 9th, 2025 10:00 AM • 3 min read
On paper, one run in nearly eight weeks might not look like the ideal lead-up to a hectic Group One sprint in the cauldron that is New Zealand Cup Day at Addington.
“He’s the most interesting horse I’ve ever trained,” Reid told RaceForm. “I don’t feel I’m hard on my horses, and normally as a rule they get better with runs. I do like them on the back-up, but he’s different.
“I think he was ready two weeks ago, but I opted to just go to the trials at Rangiora instead and he’s thrived off it.”
Reid said a hard run in the $200,000 NZB Standardbred Million on October 7 really took it out of Jumal – he lay down in his paddock for most of the next day – and that’s another reason he hasn’t raced since.
But he’s such a natural athlete that he’s come back to peak fitness rapidly.
“That combined with his massive ability gives me plenty of confidence that’s he ready to go.”
Reid moved to Canterbury last year with a dozen horses, thinking Coastal Babe was his stable star and he would enjoy the twilight years of his training career doing smaller numbers.
He didn’t figure he had what might the best horse he’s ever trained unraced in the paddock at the time.
“Yes, I had Monkey King, and he was an all-time great, but I never trained him past five, which was when he really came into his own.
“I think with this horse, I want to believe he is that horse, the one everyone hopes they get.
“Can I just come out and say he’s by far the best horse I’ve ever trained? Not yet, but I definitely think he’s the best I’ve had at the same age.”
That’s a big rap given Reid trained Gold Ace, Coastal Babe, Dancingonmoonlight and Monkey King – among others – to Group One wins as young horses. But he says the proof is in the pudding with Jumal. He has speed, stamina, manners, natural athleticism and the perfect disposition.
“He is by far the most sensible and level-headed good horse I’ve ever worked with, and Cup Day will not faze him one iota.”
Reid was not fazed by where Jumal draws in the Sires Stakes Final.
“It’s a funny race in that horses can win from anywhere – Gold Ace and Sir Lincoln both won it from wide draws – and favourites often get beaten.
“And if he does, it’s most likely just going to be circumstantial rather than any real reflection on the horse.”
Reid will also have Bazooka and Taketheplunge on the Cup Day undercard and says the latter is definitely worth a dollar.
“He’s a big improver. He’s got speed and can follow speed. If the owner, John Curtin, opts to keep him here rather than sell him, I think he could be in for a good summer.
“Bazooka has been a disappointment this campaign, there is no two ways about it. Up until his last start, I was beginning to think he wasn’t going to come back to his form from last prep. But he went better, looks better and has picked himself up a little bit lately. He’s still a handy horse, but is he as good as I thought he was? Definitely not.”
CLICK HERE to subscribe to RaceForm and get your copy delivered each week.
