South African-born jockey Jean Van Overmeire is poised for another significant opportunity as he prepares to ride Golden Mile in the $1 million The Hunter at Newcastle on Saturday. Following a remarkable victory at Randwick two weeks ago, Van Overmeire is focused on maximizing his chances in this prestigious race.
Van Overmeire secured the biggest win of his career on November 1, 2023, guiding Sonofdec to victory in the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway. The jockey recognized the importance of the moment only as he journeyed home. “I didn’t really think of it as a big win in terms of prizemoney until I was on the way home because it’s a Midway essentially,” he explained. “But I’ll take it, that’s for sure. I’ll take the cash and run.”
This recent success adds to a stellar run for the 31-year-old, who has achieved over 100 winners in back-to-back seasons during his decade-long career in Australia. He often rides on country and provincial circuits, but dreams of seizing bigger race opportunities. For this weekend, he aims to enhance his record with Golden Mile, who is listed at $23.
Golden Mile’s Comeback Potential
Golden Mile, trained by Joe Pride, is the only group 1 winner in the upcoming race but has had a challenging transition since moving from Godolphin. The six-year-old has not performed to expectations in his recent outings, but Van Overmeire is optimistic about a comeback. “If he can bounce back to his past form, especially his winter form, I think he’s in the mix and probably better than a $23 chance,” he stated.
Pride is also cautiously hopeful about Golden Mile’s performance. “He’s been at stud, he’s come back, he’s been gelded… I hope that hasn’t taken its toll on him,” he said. Pride noted that the horse needed a couple of runs to reach his peak fitness, and he believes Golden Mile is ready for a strong showing on race day.
Van Overmeire’s confidence is bolstered by the horse’s advantageous draw in barrier six and the addition of blinkers, which he hopes will enhance Golden Mile’s performance. The horse has earned over $4.5 million in his career, and both jockey and trainer are eager to see if he can return to form.
Coal Crusher and Team Dynamics
In addition to Golden Mile, Pride has multiple entries in The Hunter, including Coal Crusher, who is considered by the trainer as his best chance in the race. Coal Crusher, owned in part by Pride’s son, Brave, has not won since his impressive performance two years ago but is expected to show improvement. Brave noted, “He is going really good, he’s performing really well in training and it always seems like he’s a better horse in the spring.”
Pride expressed confidence in Coal Crusher’s capabilities, indicating that the horse would likely lead or be close to the front during the race. He acknowledged the competitive nature of the race but remains optimistic about Coal Crusher’s chances, especially given the horse’s past performances at Newcastle.
Brave reflected on the journey with Coal Crusher, recalling the excitement of their previous victories. “It was an amazing moment two years ago,” he shared, expressing hope that another win this Saturday would replicate that joy.
Overall, the upcoming race at Newcastle promises to showcase a mix of seasoned competitors and rising stars. With jockeys like Van Overmeire ready to seize opportunities, the stakes are high as they aim for victory in The Hunter.
