Hectorjayjay making quick strides

The sheer excitement that the mere mention of Hectorjayjay’s name brings is reverberating again in trots circles, with the brilliant speed machine working towards an unlikely race-track return.

Having raced only once – at Kilmore on June 30 2018 – in 22 months, the Grand Circuit winner returned to the public eye with a trial at Albion Park on April 7 for trainer Jack Butler and reinsman Brendan Barnes.

Butler, who joined yesterday’s edition of Talking Trots on Track, told hosts Jason Bonnington and Blake Redden the Victorian-owned star pacer had wowed on return.

“I think they ran a 27.6 last quarter and they made three lengths up in the straight,” Butler said of Hectorjayjay’s second placing behind Bettathanideal. “Brendon just said ‘what is this?’.

“Plugs in, on the bit, he had to get home in his 26s first up in two years. He’s a super horse.”

WATCH HECTORJAYJAY'S TRIAL BELOW:

Hectorjayjay’s return has been gradual and driven, Butler said, in large part by the horse’s will to run.

“He was actually coming up to retire up here to start off with,” he said. “He came to my place and he’s just looking awesome, so I started swimming him and treadmilling him.

“I actually snuck my vet in just to give him a quick scan in the suspensorys, and he just said they are not too bad. Just keep doing what you are doing.

“He swum and treadmilled for about two months. The scans showed really good signs and here we are today.”

Butler said Hectorjayjay would trial again next Tuesday, “we will definitely do a bit more with him and then hopefully a race start after that”.

And so what can we expect?

“He’s not a young horse any more, he thinks he’s still only four or five. He’s just loving life at the moment, he’s sound, he’s a good horse – all he wants to do is work and run,” Butler said.

“The plan was the Winter Carnival, he’s working better than any horse I’ve ever had. He’s awesome, I think he could really get back to somewhere where he was.

“He will keep going now as long as he stays sounds. He’s just a natural, just loves the work, we will just keep doing what we are doing. He’s really sound and loves life.”

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Click below to listen to the full Jack Butler interview: