Billy Boy was always going to require patient handling and those waiting tactics are being rewarded in the second phase of the strapping son of So You Think’s career.
The seven-year-old is a three-time winner on the flat, but it is in a jumping role that the gelding is excelling and will put his perfect record on the line in Saturday’s Aztech Engineering Wellington Hurdle (3100m).
He is prepared at Wanganui by former top jumps jockey Jo Rathbone, who numbered victory aboard the Kevin Myers’ Honey in the 2011 edition of the Trentham feature during her celebrated riding career.
Rathbone now has a strong chance to add success as a trainer with Billy Boy, who claimed top honours earlier this month in the Manawatu Hurdles (2500m).
“He’s done us proud and stepped-up last time, which was great, and he’s done well and trained on nicely,” she said.
Billy Boy has also responded positively to a varied training regime.
“He’s very happy in himself and has been out with the Egmont-Wanganui Hunt, I take a couple of the racehorses out with them sometimes,” Rathbone said.
“It’s a bit different and helps with fitness, they do a bit of work without realising and enjoy themselves at the same time.”
Billy Boy made a successful hurdling debut last spring following an extensive education.
“Before he went to Woodville, he had been schooling the entire season before that so by the time he went to the races, his jumping was fairly polished, and it was just a matter of him being fit enough,” Rathbone said.
Raced by the estate of Dennis Leamy, Billy Boy began his career with Rathbone as an older horse.
“He had bought him off Gavelhouse (for $5,500) and had two or three trials before he came to me as a four-year-old,” Rathbone said.
“He’s 18 hands now, he’s a massive horse and so he’s obviously needed time and someone with plenty of patience like Dennis always had, just to let him grow.
“Each time he has come back into work he’s got bigger and bigger and he’s an impressive animal now.
“Earlier on, I was a bit sceptical about his ability and Dennis kept saying give him time and he was right.
“He was never super-fast, but he could stay and just needed to strengthen. He’s a big, long-legged horse.”
To again be ridden by Joshua Parker, Billy Boy’s future post the Wellington Hurdles has yet to be decided.
“I’ll see how he goes on Saturday and comes through the race, I have been thinking about possibly going to the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles, but beyond that I’m not 100 percent sure,” Rathbone said.