Jameka is recovering well from a sacral injury
Caulfield Cup winner Jameka is recovering from a sacral injury which her trainer believes had an effect on her Melbourne Cup performance.
Ciaron Maher is not convinced Jameka failed to stay the 3200 metres and has not ruled out another tilt at Australia’s richest race.
Jameka finished 15th of the 24 runners as the second favourite and came out of the race with the injury to the sacroilic joint in her spine.
“She has a sacral tear which is not too serious and is having a break before we start getting her ready for the autumn” Maher said.
“I’m not convinced she doesn’t get 3200 metres. We don’t know when it happened but she could have injured herself coming out of the barriers.
“We know she runs a strong mile-and-a-half (2400m) but she didn’t really even go that far in the Melbourne Cup so it’s not a true guide.”
Jameka won the 2015 VRC Oaks over 2500m and ran second in the Australian Derby and fourth in the Australian Oaks over 2400 metres, the same distance as the Caulfield Cup in which she was dominant.
Maher will target major races in Melbourne and Sydney in the autumn with Jameka and hopefully her Group One-winning stablemate Azkadellia.
The winner of the Queen Of The Turf Stakes in Sydney in April, Azkadellia has not raced since her second in the Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm in June because of an investigation into her ownership.
She was nominated for next week’s Railway Stakes in Perth but with the ownership matter still unresolved, she is not allowed to race.
Maher has kept her in training throughout the spring and says the lack of racing won’t tell against her when she does get back, hopefully sooner rather than later.
“She is fit and healthy and ready to go,” Maher said.
“She has had trials and jump-outs. She just hasn’t raced.
“Hopefully she can be back for the autumn. Srikandi missed a prep and it didn;t hurt her.
“She came back and won two Group One races.”
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