Trainer Ciaron Maher has heard all the hype surrounding lightly raced Jimmysstar, but is reluctant to push him too far, too early.
Unbeaten in two Australian starts after winning two of his three starts in New Zealand, Jimmysstar is set to make his return at in the Sportsbet Get On Extra Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Jimmystsar runs in benchmark 84 grade on Saturday having scored wins in a benchmark 70 at Bendigo and in Class 3 grade at Cranbourne last November.
A four-year-old by Per Incanto, Maher said Jimmysstar had been well-managed by the previous trainers in New Zealand.
“He’s come out here as a four-year-old, with not many miles on the clock,” Maher said.
“He’s a neat horse and they’ve given him time to develop.”
While the temptation may be there to head to a higher grade now with Jimmysstar, Maher wants to make use of his rating in lesser company.
He said later in the preparation, if Jimmysstar’s form warranted it, a race like Group 1 The Doncaster (1600m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival could come on the radar.
“He’s a ratings horse now but you would think that he might be better than that,” Maher said.
“As a three-year-old you can jump up the grades, but as a four-year-old, you have to take it a bit more slowly.
“With any of these progressive horses, those (big) handicap races, if you go the right way, you try to sneak them in.
“There’s a lot of hype about him and he’s in great order, but I’m not going to get too carried away about races like that yet.
“Everything would have to go the right way for him to go there.”
Maher said Jimmysstar shapes as though he will get further than the 1500m that he was successful over at Cranbourne at his most recent start.
“I think he will get a mile, but we’ll kick him off over 1400 metres,” Maher said.
“He’s clean winded, good actioned and I think you could train him for whatever you wanted to.
“I think he’s a horse with a bright future.”
