“We’ll see how he performs on Saturday. There is another Listed race he can go to in three weeks, but, if he were to win on Saturday and win impressively, we might have to aim up a little bit.”
That was co-trainer Matt Hoysted talking about Uncommon James prior to his run in the Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield and … guess what … they are now going to have to aim up a little bit!
Uncommon James simply could not have been more impressive in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes, a race in which he dominated his opposition winning by a decisive 2,25 length margin … a race in which he ran time, stopping the clock for the 1200m trip at 1.08.44 which set a new class record beating Bon Hoffa’s old mark which had stood for some fifteen years … a race in which he extended his winning sequence to five straight wins!
This from a horse who was only having his sixth career start. To put his relative ‘inexperience’ in perspective, Ranges, who finished second in the Regal Roller was having his thirty-sixth race start and he had already won two Listed races (The Hinkler and the Ramornie) and had placed in Group 3 company (in the WJ Healy) going into Saturday’s contest.
“That’s taken a bit of pressure off,” admitted Hoysted in a post-race interview. “We obviously thought he would be able to measure up down here, but, until you see him do it, you never really do know.
“We know he has got that dynamic turn of foot. He was really able to show that … and the fact he was able to run away from them … he couldn’t have been more impressive.
“We know he hasn’t reached the ceiling yet … so he only going to continue to improve,” concluded Hoysted.
“He was very impressive to ride as well,” agreed jockey Damian Lane.
“He is a really raw talent. He is still putting it together, so he is an exciting horse.”
Just where Uncommon James will head to next has still to be decided, but a first sortie into Group racing company is not out of the question with the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis on September 10 at Flemington now presenting itself as a very real option.
