Kristen Buchanan has a white board in her office, written on it are the names of her horses and races that might suit them.
It is a programming schedule and while the horse’s names stay fairly constant, the races ebb and flow according to form and need.
One of the horses on the trainer’s list is Jazzland and among the races on his schedule is Saturday’s Harrigan Motor Group Handicap (2000m) at Kembla Grange.
It will be a defining assignment that determines if some of the other races written beside the five-year-old’s name are locked in or rubbed out.
“The Christmas Cup is on the programming white board as a possibility,” Buchanan said.
“There are also some opportunities in Queensland. There is a wild card race for the Magic Millions staying race but I need to discuss that with his owners and see how he goes on Saturday.”
Jazzland has won five of his 11 starts and is unbeaten in two campaign runs at Wyong and Kensington.
He has done enough to prompt Buchanan to test the waters in better grade, something the Wyong trainer has been keen to do for a while.
Jazzland rates highly in almost all of Buchanan’s data analysis but at times has struggled with race day nerves.
“He has amazing stride length, aerobic capacity and his recovery after work is sensational,” she said.
“He is a well-oiled machine and he has got all the boxes ticked in terms of potential.
“It’s just sometimes race day stress, he’s still learning to cope with that.
“But I’m very happy with him in the stable. He’s a lot more cool, calm and collected than he ever used to be and he’s furnished and developed a bit more physically.”
Buchanan hopes Jazzland’s improved demenour is a sign the horse is ready to deliver on his promise.
Her theory will be tested at Kembla when he comes up against a field peppered with seasoned performers and emerging stayers, including favourite California Longbow who is also on a possible Christmas Cup path.
Jazzland has the outside gate in the field of 15 but will stride forward and Josh Parr has stuck with him after riding him to successive victories in lesser grade.
