Master Jamie to target QTIS Jewel after Eagle Farm success
Master Jamie will be given a one-week reprieve before being set for next month’s $300,000 QTIS 3YO Jewel after making it 11 wins in 14 starts at Eagle Farm.
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Rocky marvel Master Jamie will be given a one week reprieve by trainer Graeme Green before he sets his sights on next month’s $300,000 QTIS 3YO Jewel after making it 11 wins in 14 starts at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Burdened with a monster 61kg, Master Jamie looked certain to be collared by Baby Boomer, but found reserves of courage under Jimmy Orman to comfortably hold him at bay in the run to the line.
Green, who also part-owns the son of Poet’s Voice, said he would return home to Rockhampton and have the week off, which will give him three weeks to prepare for the March 14 Jewel.
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Green, who trains a team of just 10 horses, admits every time Master Jamie wins it feels a little bit special.
“I just about break down each time,” he said. “He’s a gutsy horse. That’s all I can say. He proved it again today. If he’s allowed to dictate, he’s just a bulldog.”
Master Jamie carried 59kg to win at Eagle Farm three weeks ago and the handicapper’s efforts to end his winning run made no difference, as the extra 2kg on Saturday wasn’t enough to stop him.
Green has good reason to be confident heading to the Jewel on the Gold Coast, as that race is run under set-weight conditions.
Green broke Master Jamie in with former top apprentice Mandy Radecker, who straps the horse when he comes to Brisbane.
“We broke in five together that year and she’s a dear friend of the family,” Green said.
Radecker noted Master Jamie was from the first year she started breaking in horses and she too gets a big kick out of his winning runs.
■ Desleigh Forster instructed Mark Du Plessis to be positive out of the gates on emerging mare Twilighter, who took full advantage of being handy in the run to win the Class 3 Handicap (1840m) easily.
Twilighter had her first run for Forster three weeks earlier, where she really caught the eye flashing home behind The Kingdom.
Forster, who inherited the daughter of Reliable Man from Chris Waller, blamed the wide gate for her not finishing closer that day and wanted to negate her tricky draw. “She’s a really good staying mare this. She will knock up winning staying races up here,” she said.
Punters pulled the trigger on the wrong ‘weight’ horse when New Universe notched his maiden Queensland win in the Open Handicap (1600m).
Having won in Melbourne last preparation and multiple times in Sydney, New Universe is a relative newcomer to Queensland, but ran right up to his last start second in winning his eighth race.
New Universe enjoyed a 3kg swing on Cool Chap on their previous meeting, but punters let him drift to $5.50, preferring Silvera, who also had a big weight pull on Cool Chap, but got back in the run and never really threatened.
Spectroscope looked to have New Universe covered, but the camera went in favour of the Waller trained runner.
“(Spectroscope) got to me quick and my bloke to his credit didn’t give up and worried the other horse out of it,” jockey Brad Stewart said.
Hancora Field fires to turn tables
Les Ross and Mike Crooks have enjoyed great success with young horses over the years and they are lining up another big pay next month after Hancora Field atoned for a failed debut plonk at Eagle Farm.
Hancora Field was heavily backed to start $2.10 on debut at the Gold Coast, but was run over by Mishani Machine. The pair clashed again on Saturday and this time Mishani Force was the more fancied.
Sure enough, Hancora Field turned the tables after being able to set a walking tempo in front under Matt McGillivray.
Ross and Crooks confessed to leaving it in the bag at the Coast, but were shrewd enough to double up on Saturday.
“I put the money on the other day so I couldn’t let it go around without backing up. I thought the other one (Mishani Machine) was a bit short in the market,” Crooks said.
Ross has also had Mishani Miss win for Crooks this year and he is sizing up the $500,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast on March 14.
“We could have eight in it the way we’re going,” Ross said. “She’s a good little filly this, and she really took good benefit out of that first run at the Coast.”
■ Leading apprentice Baylee Nothdurft took great delight in landing Kutamurra Al a winner for his old boss Lindsay Hatch at Eagle Farm.
Hatch launched Nothdurft’s career at Toowoomba before sending him to Tony Gollan, allowing him to blossom in the city. “He’s absolutely been a mentor for me. He’s one of my best mates and we speak just about every day,” Nothdurft said. “That was the first winner I’ve ridden for him in town, so it feels pretty good.”
Plitvice back in business
Plitvice capped his comeback from the dead in an impressive Eagle Farm display, making it a double win for trainer Rob Heathcote with him.
The Mossman four-year-old backed up his recent win at Doomben to comfortably take care of his No Metro Win rivals, taking his overall record to five wins in 16 starts.
Heathcote revealed Plitvice almost died from colic as a younger horse.
“The vet told us we would lose him. He was on the operating table and the vet gave him half an hour to live, but somehow he stood up and it’s pretty satisfying to see him win this race,” he said. “It was a super run first-up at Caloundra, and a brilliant win last start.
“Robbie (Fradd) gave him an 11 out of 10 ride. They should pull that ride out and show it at apprentice school. It was superb.”
It was never Heathcote’s intention to run Plitvice yesterday. He was all set to run on Thursday before the meeting was abandoned because of the wet track.
Because he was running Thursday, Heathcote did not book a jockey for yesterday’s race by the Wednesday deadline, but stewards accepted his explanation and chose not to issue the usual $100 fine. “I guess I could afford to pay the fine now,” Heathcote said.
Plitvice didn’t go unnoticed by punters, who backed him from $8.50 to start $7.50.
He is a brother to Heathcote’s talented seven times winner Privlaka
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