Jacwill Kid winning the 2026 Bathurst Gold Crown Photo by Bathurst HRC
FAVOURITE Jacwill Kid is out of Australasia’s richest juvenile race, the $500,000 Group 1 Protostar at Albion Park on Saturday night.
Just moments after his sparkling win last Saturday night, vets found the young star was lame and stood him down for six days pending a further veterinary inspection.
Connections hoped the soreness was only an abscess, but today showed it was more and trainer Jason Grimson did not accept for the Protostar.
It was a huge blow to a star-studded group of owners, including Summit Bloodstock, Mick Boots and Glen Holland, who only recently bought the gelding after his win in the Group 1 Bathurst Gold Crown with a specific view to the Protostar.
It left slot owner Rob Watson scrambling for a replacement.
“Chocolates to boiled lollies for me,” Watson said. “I’ve gone with one of my own babies, Soho Aster, who probably isn’t ready for a race like this, but I didn’t have many options with this short notice”
Jacwill Kid stormed into $3 outright favouritism for the Protostar straight after last Saturday night’s win.
Depending how Soho Aster is this week, Watson also has the chance to default to emergency.
Grant and Trista Dixon’s Better One would be the best of them after his third to Jacwill Kid last Saturday night.
His scratching now boosts the chances for champion Victorian trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin to build on their already fantastic record in the short two year history of the Protostar.
They had The Highlight Reel finish second, beaten a half-head by Fate Awaits in 2024. Cigano ran fourth.
Then last year they won the race with the brilliant Loucasso.
Stewart and Tonkin return with three of the 10 runners – Comeandsee, Cardigan Jem and Kahula – on Saturday night.
The only other slot that needed filling was that of Josh Davine’s N40 group and they went with Chantal Turpin’s youngster Aardies A Star, who ran fourth to Jacwill Kid last Saturday night.
PHOTO: Coffee Photography
