THE proverb goes good things come to those who wait and Oberon trainer Wayne White hopes it is a proverb that rings true in the case of Jerulas Grin.
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White has shown plenty of patience when it comes to three-year-old gelding, who has had just four career starts.
It has been an approach he adopted with a New South Wales Breeders Challenge campaign in mind and come Wednesday night he hopes it pays off when Jerulas Grin lines up in a 1,730 metres heat at the Bathurst Paceway.
"Because of the handicapping system where the three-year-olds have got to race against the older horses, I've elected not to do that so much. He's always had a bit of talent and I've always been prepared to wait for him," White said.
"When COVID hit in April I turned him out for the Breeders Challenge just to have a break. The Breeders Challenge was then put back until now, so he went back to the paddock."
White gave him a start at Menangle in March to test his credentials for the Breeders Challenge and while not expecting a great deal, Jerulas Grin won as a $41 chance.
Since then he's had one more win at Bathurst, contracted and recovered from a virus and recovered from putting a spike in his foot on the jogging track.
"He's improved with the break, he's a lot better horse now than when he won at Menangle," White said.
"He's worked terrific since and I think the horse will be spot on for Wednesday night as long as he's still alive," he added with a laugh.
With three wins and a second across his four starts to date, White thinks the Grinfromeartear x Jerula Rose gelding is a chance of progressing beyond his heat of the three-year-old colts and geldings series.
It would be a bonus given his friendship with Jerulas Grin's owners Rodney and Julie Booth.
He's versatile, he's not a one-trick pony.
- Wayne White
"I haven't had an actual competitive Breeders Challenge horse for a few years, Miss Rodriguez got through running third in her two heats [in 2015], she went through to the semis and then dropped out," White said.
"I only got him as a rising three-year-old. The horse was supposed to go to Bernie Hewitt but he didn't have time for him, so I was offered the horse as a rising three-year-old.
"I've had horses with Rodney and Julie off and on for 20-odd years and this is the first one we've won a race together with. We've been friends for years and years."
Jerulas Grin, who will have Jason Turnbull in the gig, has drawn barrier 10 for his heat. White thinks that will actually benefit his runner.
"He's not immature, but he's very green in as far as he's not done a lot of racing," he said.
"One thing I will say for him, he won his first race leading, he won his second race at Menangle sitting behind the leader and peeled off a fair pace and sprinted well and he won his third race sitting outside the leader. He's versatile, he's not a one-trick pony.
"I think the two will lead, I think Bid For Stardom is the probable leader, so I actually liked the draw when I saw it.
"I think Bid For Stardom's the other form horse of the race, he race second to that good horse of Chris Frisby's [Jenden Strike] in the Western District Derby, he sat outside it and ran second."
Jerulas Grin will get his chance come 6.44pm with another three-year-old colts age gelding heat set for 7.40pm plus a three-year-old fillies heat at 7.10pm.
