Jimmysstar was officially minted as a Group 1 performer last time he headed to the races and this weekend he will get the chance to stamp himself a weight-for-age sprinter.
The Ciaron Maher-trained gelding will contest this Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
The 1200-metre event will be his first appearance since winning the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 22, when he launched late to score a thrilling win, and Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said he had been kept fresh in the hope of producing a similar performance.
“We keep him fresh, obviously, because of the way he ran first up,” Turnbull said.
“There’s no doubt he’ll get back up to seven furlongs at some point, but if you keep him fresh and have these high-intensity sprint races you can sit off them and make a long, sustained run and that’s why he won the Oakleigh Plate.
“It was just good to see him do it.”
The son of Per Incanto has now won eight of 15 starts and the William Reid Stakes will be his first Group 1 assignment at weight-for-age.
A good showing could book him a spot in Australia’s premier autumn sprint, the $3 million Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 5.
“I don’t think we would steer him away from sprint trips if we were to win another,” Turnbull said.
“Potentially he goes to the TJ, but you’ve got other options over 1400.”
Jimmysstar was one of 16 entries for the William Reid Stakes when they closed on Monday with classy mares Benedetta, Stretan Angel and She’s Bulletproof among the other high-profile entries.
Jimmysstar is likely to be the only runner for Maher, whose other entries I Am Me, Growing Empire and Estriella are all in New South Wales.
The latter two will run this Saturday, but in the $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill.
Maher is still in search of a maiden Group 1 with Growing Empire, who is coming off a fourth placing in the Newmarket Handicap and Turnbull said he doesn’t need to improve much to be a factor.
“He was better without the blinkers (in the Newmarket), so they will stay off and back around a bend, hopefully drawing a little bit softer so we can get cover, that would be his go,” Turnbull said.
