Trots Centre: Change could have ‘Chook ready to Pumble

He’s got a quirky name and he’s been a quirky little customer since joining Andrew Vozlic’s team in recent months, but the experienced Mildura trainer-driver has no concerns about Mista Pumblechook winning some races in the state’s north-west.

While the son of Village Jasper is no stranger to racing with more than 70 starts to his name, he’s appeared to lack professionalism during his time in Mildura.

Mista Pumblechook disappointed on debut for Vozlic, sitting parked as a warm favourite before dropping out and running a well beaten sixth on July 23. A few weeks later, he settled last and was tapped up a long way from home but responded to hit the line strongly for sixth. And last Friday night, Vozlic was hard at work on the gelding more than a lap from the finish, but he worked into the race to run a solid second behind roughie Shadow Terror.

“He probably needs a set of pacifiers on because he can see things and he baulks a bit and won’t go. And when he decides nothing is going to happen to him, he takes off,” Vozlic said.

“I haven’t put a set on him, but I will the (next) start. You would have seen him race in pacifiers. He goes good in them.”

Vozlic said while Mista Pumblechook can win The Gateway Pace (1790m) at Mildura this evening, he expected improvement when he gets that key gear adjustment at his next start.

“He’ll win three or four around here. Soon as we get a set of pacifiers on him and stuff like that, he’ll win three or four,” he said.

“He is a very smart horse in the stable. He was playing with chains and the water and all that sort of stuff. He’s changing now – he’s coming along.

“He is going to win three or four races so I’m not really stressing.”

Mista Pumblechook is, of course, named after a character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, and was purchased by Vozlic and his connections following back-to-back long odds wins at Globe Derby. The aim was, and still is, to pick up a handy little bonus for winning his first race in Victoria.

“He’s got a bonus in him and was only $4500 or something so he was worth buying being a low rater too,” Vozlic said.

Vozlic’s team has been in good form this season, with 31 winners coming from 239 runners for in excess of $100,000 in prizemoney. He’s coming off a treble at last Friday night’s meeting when he managed to land victories with bolter Stealth Mode, recent acquisition Sheldon and the in-form Loorim Lake, which made it four triumphs in succession.

All eyes will be on “King of Mildura” Bernie Winkle this evening when he shoots for an eighth-straight win at the circuit and his 12th overall from 21 trips around the track.

Geoff Lucas’ charge will race in the Zilzie Wines Pace (2190m) at 8.30pm.

TALKING TROTS ON SENTRACK:

Join Jason Bonnington and Blake Redden from 11am to 1pm on SENTrack, which airs on 1593AM in Melbourne, 1539AM in Sydney, 657AM in Perth, 801AM in Gosford, 96.9FM in Ingham, 99.1FM in Atherton and 1575AM in Wollongong.

Click here to listen live and for links to download the SEN app.