Jacquinot Bay is set to line up in Sunday's Canberra Cup
Four years after winning the Canberra Cup, veteran galloper Jacquinot Bay will be back in the nation’s capital for another crack at the Listed race.
The 10-year-old gelding is one of three feature race entrants for the Lindsay Park stable at Sunday’s meeting, with two-year-old filly Qafila in the Black Opal Stakes and Group One winner He’s Our Rokkii in the National Sprint.
“The last time he was there he was trained by the late Guy Walter,” Jacquinot Bay’s co-trainer David Hayes said.
Jacquinot Bay won the 2014 Canberra Cup by three-quarters of a length in what was his second last start for Walter before the respected Sydney trainer died suddenly in May that year.
The gelding was transferred to the Lindsay Park team in Victoria having won eight of 19 starts for Walter, and the consistent galloper goes into his latest Canberra Cup bid with 14 wins and 18 placings to his credit from 73 starts.
Lindsay Park’s Extra Zero was third in the 2014 Canberra Cup and Hayes likened Jacquinot Bay to that 11-year-old gelding who was retired last December after 109 starts which netted seven wins and another 33 placings.
“I think he is going really well,” Hayes said.
“He’s a horse who always runs a place and if he happens to get a soft track he can win.
“He’s like old Extra Zero. They don’t win much but they’re always around the mark.”
Jacquinot Bay’s most recent win came three starts ago at Caulfield over 1700m after he was placed in six of his seven previous starts.
He drops in class after being unplaced in the Group Two Peter Young Stakes at weight-for-age last start.
Damien Oliver takes the ride and is also booked for He’s Our Rokkii and stakes-winning filly Qafila who ran on from last to finish seventh in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at her most recent start.
“I feel if Qafila was given the run Enbihaar was, she would have probably finished with her in the Blue Diamond,” Hayes said.
Enbihaar finished down the outside for second in the Blue Diamond and is set to have her next start in the Golden Slipper.
Hayes said Qafila was likely to head towards the Group One ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
