Promising two-year-old Jigsaw has relished the rain-affected going at Caulfield in making a winning return from a spell.
Jigsaw took at Saturday’s Unleash Your Neds Toolbox Handicap (1100m) at his first start after a three-run summer campaign.
A heavily-backed $1.65 Neds favourite under Mark Zahra, Jigsaw raced to a two-length win from Sharp Response ($26) with Darceandermill ($10) a short-head away third.
Jigsaw lowered the colours of Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes victor Artorius on debut at Geelong before two more summer starts in stronger company that what the son of Manhattan Rain met on Saturday.
Spelled straight after the Blue Diamond Stakes in February, trainer Cindy Alderson wanted to give the colt the opportunity of a winter campaign leading into the spring.
“He had a nice little break as that was his first preparation and I think he’s still got a bit more to go,” Alderson said.
“I think he’s a bit willowy at the moment for him. He was a bit chunkier when he was in the Blue Diamond, so he’s grown a bit.
“Whatever he does this preparation he should continue to improve on and hopefully there’s still something more left for him.”
Alderson said she would not push the colt, but would keep him ticking over for a race at The Valley at the end of next month.
“He might go to a race at Moonee Valley and then if he goes well there, we’ll look at a stakes race at that track,” Alderson said.
Zahra said Jigsaw was a professional racehorse.
“He canters to the gates fine, stands in there as quiet as a lamb and pings them,” Zahra said.
“He led, he was able to come back underneath me and when I asked him for an effort, he put pay to them in the straight.”
