Jimmysstar earned his Group 1 status the last time he raced, and this weekend, he will have the opportunity to prove himself as a weight-for-age sprinter.
The gelding, trained by Ciaron Maher, is set to compete in the $1 million Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
This 1200-meter race will mark his first appearance since claiming victory in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 22. Jimmysstar delivered a thrilling late run to secure the win, and Maher’s assistant trainer, Jack Turnbull, mentioned that the horse has been kept fresh in hopes of replicating that strong performance.
“We keep him fresh, obviously, because of the way he ran first up,” Turnbull said.
“There’s no doubt he’ll get back up to seven furlongs at some point, but if you keep him fresh and have these high-intensity sprint races, you can sit off them and make a long, sustained run, and that’s why he won the Oakleigh Plate.”
“It was just good to see him do it.”
The Per Incanto-sired horse has now won eight of his 15 starts, and the William Reid Stakes will be his first Group 1 race at weight-for-age.
A solid performance in this race could earn him a spot in Australia’s premier autumn sprint, the $3 million Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 5.
“I don’t think we would steer him away from sprint trips if we were to win another,” Turnbull added.
“Potentially he goes to the TJ, but you’ve got other options over 1400.”
Jimmysstar is one of 16 entries for the William Reid Stakes, which closed on Monday, with top mares Benedetta, Stretan Angel, and She’s Bulletproof also among the notable entries.
He is expected to be Maher’s only representative in the race, as his other entries, I Am Me, Growing Empire, and Estriella, are all racing in New South Wales.
The latter two will run in the $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Maher is still searching for his first Group 1 win with Growing Empire, who recently finished fourth in the Newmarket Handicap. Turnbull noted that the horse doesn’t need to improve much to be a contender.
“He was better without the blinkers (in the Newmarket), so they will stay off, and back around a bend, hopefully drawing a little bit softer so we can get cover, that would be his go,” Turnbull explained.