Dual Group winner Jamaea is thriving ahead of her upcoming assignment in the Racing & Sports Golden Pendant, now co-trainer Luke Price just needs the predicted rain to steer clear of Rosehill.
While the mare can handle soft conditions, she is less effective in the heavy and should the track tip into that range, Price will wait for another day.
But his preference is for Jamaea to take her place in Saturday’s Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m).
“I’d prefer to be going around this week for sure, she has been set for it and I feel she’s going well,” Price said.
“The improvement I wanted her to take from the Theo Marks (Stakes), she did. We are hitting the race perfectly third-up.
“She has drawn a lovely barrier and back to mares’ grade, I think she will be ultra-competitive.”
The winner of the Percy Sykes Stakes at two and Furious Stakes at three, Jamaea has put the writing on the wall for another successful campaign with a first-up second to Zapateo in the Toy Show Quality (1100m) and a closing fourth behind Kiku in the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m).
She steps up to 1400m on Saturday, a distance she is yet to place over in three attempts, but she did have genuine excuses each time.
“It was a heavy track in the Surround (Stakes) and she was still brave from a bad barrier, the Magic Millions (Guineas) was a disaster, she never got a chance, and the Golden Rose was on-speed and against some of the best three-year-old colts that were going around,” Price pointed out.
“She’s had the perfect prep to run a strong 1400 metres out, now we just need the weather gods on our side.”
If Jamaea doesn’t run, Price has several options up his sleeve, including freshening her up for next month’s Sydney Stakes (1200m), or heading on a path to the Golden Eagle (1500m) on October 29.
Price also has All Machiavellian and Verbek in the Midway Handicap (1300m) but like Jamaea, both want firmer footing.
While the former will only run on a soft 6 track or better, Verbek can handle slightly worse and Price views him as a live chance if he gets the right conditions.
“His win strikerate isn’t outstanding but he’s ultra-consistent and he maps really well to be hard to beat on Saturday,” Price said.
