A Grand finale for Instigator in thrilling Annual
Instigator has finished his jumping career on an enormously high note, with the 12-year-old winning the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool in what was an emotional success for jockey Braidon Small.
Instigator, a German import trained by Aaron Purcell, was runner-up in the famous Warrnambool feature 12 months ago, but went one better, staging a thrilling duel with Hit The Road Jack down the straight.
Small has waited until the final jump to make his challenge to the leader, who had finally seen off Gambu and claimed the front.
Instigator looked set to sweep clear, but the Simon Wilde-trained Hit The Road Jack kept on fighting, Just a short head separated the two horses on the line, with Small securing just his second win in the saddle in the past 12 months.
Gambu fought on for third, 15 lengths further back, while defending champion Duke Of Bedford finished sixth, having led for much of the race, only to be overwhelmed as the field came back onto the course proper for the final time at the 1000m mark.
It caps an incredible comeback for Small, the son of Group1-winnign jockey Cyril, after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2023.
He fought his way back to health and came back to riding, having worked for the Purcell stable for well over a decade.
Instigator faces mandatory retirement when he turns 13 on August 1 and Purcell said after the race, that his Grand Annual success would be his final start.
