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THE Bendigo Jockey Club will shout the bar if grand hurdler Gotta Take Care wins his third-straight Brendan Drechsler Hurdle on Sunday.
Victory in the $100,000 feature event would also see Gotta Take Care break the $1million mark in prizemoney and BJC president Brendan Drechsler wants to celebrate the two milestones in style.
“Gotta Take Care is the most popular horse in Victoria at the moment and easily the toughest,’’ Drechsler said.
“He’s coming back to Bendigo again and I was trying to think of a way to mark the occasion.
“I remembered when Rough Habit won the Stradbroke Handicap in Queensland and the QTC shouted the bar and it happened again when Belle De Jour won the Golden Slipper.
“If they can do it, we can do it here in Bendigo to celebrate Gotta Take Care’s achievements.
“So if Gotta Take Care can win the hurdle then we’ll shout the bar until the start of the next race.”
Trained by Darren Weir, Gotta Take Care will start a short-priced favourite in the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle.
The nine-year-old has won eight of its 16 career jumps starts, including a stunning victory in the Australian Hurdle last start.
Owned by Sunbury-based brothers Phil, Ian and Greg Wood, Gotta Take Care has a career record of 19 wins and 19 placings from 69 starts.
“I’ve spoken to Gotta Take Care’s connections and they’re very excited that we’re putting on this offer,’’ Drechsler said.
“We obviously encourage responsible drinking… we just thought it would be nice for the on-course patrons to toast Gotta Take Care if he wins.”