Billy Egan hasn’t played much of a role in Jimmy The Bear’s Winter Championship defence to this point, but he will reclaim the keys at the right time.
The no-fuss jockey will be reunited with the Patrick Payne-trained gelding in Saturday’s $200,000 Listed final at Flemington.
It will be the first time Egan has ridden Jimmy The Bear this year, having last partnered him in the Kensington Stakes on New Year’s Eve, and while he might not have been aboard of late he has been keeping a close eye on him.
“I galloped with him on Tuesday morning at Werribee – Patrick rode him and I rode his stablemate, but he worked good,” Egan said.
“He’s been going pretty good. I think he’s had a similar lead up with all the races he’s run in, it’s been the same sort of plan as last year, and he’s going well.”
Like last year, Jimmy The Bear cleared the cobwebs at Caulfield in early May and rounded out his Winter Championship preparations in The David Bourke (1620m) at Flemington.
While he had two runs in between in 2025, he had only one extra start this year, which resulted in a win over 1600m at Caulfield on May 30.
The son of Jimmy Creed will carry 60kg on Saturday, 1kg more than last year, as he strives to join Glaneuse as the only back-to-back winner of the 1600m race that was first run in 1980.
“He’s pretty highly rated now, so he deserves to carry the weight,” Egan said of the 13-time winner.
“He’s a big horse and he’s proven he can carry the weight.”
Jimmy The Bear drew barrier one for the Winter Championship Final, which was in contrast to his younger half-brother and stablemate Clevor Trever, who was handed the second-widest gate in the 13-horse Silver Bowl Final that rounds out the meeting.
The Omaha Beach three-year-old also has 60kg for what is his first look at 1600m and while Egan concedes he faces a task, he thinks he is up to it.
“Maybe the weights might be a little bit different for him, because they got so close to him last time and he is getting out to the mile,” he said.
“He’s probably got a few more obstacles to overcome, but he’s in really good form.”
Egan’s two other rides on Finals Day are also trained by Payne; Bold Soul in the $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) and Falset Star in the $175,000 Listed A R Creswick Stakes (1200m).
