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Tourneur lands top mount for Durrant

Part-owner Jodie Noske with last year’s Bunbury Cup winner Destroy. Picture: Bill Hatto/WA News

Top Adelaide jockey Dominic Tourneur will ride last-start winner Jim 'N' Jim in the $110,000 XXXX Gold Bunbury Cup (2200m) on Thursday.

The former Geraldton-based Tourneur, an interstate feature-event winner on Alcopop, Hucklebuck and Maybe Discreet, will represent South Australia in a jockeys' challenge series at Bunbury.

"I booked Dominic for the ride aboard Jim 'N' Jim when learning he would be here on cup day," the mare's trainer, Adam Durrant, said yesterday.

"We've been friends for more than 20 years and I've often promised to put him on a winning prospect when he visited."

Durrant, a former apprentice jockey who rode 49 winners before increasing weight forced his retirement from the saddle, beat Tourneur to top the 1997 Carnarvon jockeys' premiership.

Tourneur, a prolific SA winner for several seasons, ran second on Alcopop in the 2012 Caulfield Cup after riding him to win a Herbert Power Handicap. Five-year-old Jim 'N' Jim was ridden by suspended apprentice Jerry Noske when she stormed home from eighth to win over 2200m at Ascot on February 22. She had previously won three races at Ascot and two at Belmont Park.

"Jim 'N' Jim is at peak form," said Durrant, who will launch a four-pronged assault on the cup.

His other runners are Marden (William Pike), Keepers Court (Peter Hall) and Summah's Touch (Ben Paterson).

"All of our cup horses are working well enough to run big races," Durrant said.

Durrant trained 2008 Bunbury Cup winner Lords Ransom, who won the race again when trained by Grant Williams in 2012.

The Jeff Noske-trained Destroy will attempt to become only the third horse in almost 50 years to win consecutive Bunbury Cups.

Prince Elliott (1966-67) and Beau Heed (1995-96) were the last gallopers to achieve the feat.

Destroy, ridden by Noske's son Jarrad, charged home from eighth position to win last year's cup.

He has not been placed in eight races since, but impressed when winning a 1000m trial by five lengths at Belmont last week.

… I've often promised to put him on a winning prospect ..."Adam Durrant