Uncommon James must stand up in Victory Stakes before winter carnival heats up

Owner and breeder Caitlin Hoysted says Uncommon James needs to go close to winning the Victory Stakes before the competition gets tougher later in the winter carnival.

Caitlin Hoysted gave her Group 1 winner Uncommon James the tick of approval for a Queensland winter carnival assault while dressed in pyjamas and overseeing his preparation from her balcony.

Hoysted, the owner and breeder of Uncommon James, is married to trainer Matt and the young family live in the street directly behind Eagle Farm racecourse.

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“Our house is just behind Eagle Farm, our balcony looks over the course proper,” Caitlin Hoysted said.

“On Tuesday, in his (Uncommon James) gallop, the rider pulls up and then we have a conversation while I’m on my back deck.

“I am literally watching it in my pyjamas on my back deck.

“I know before Matt, who is in the grandstands, how the horse is going.”

Matt and Caitlin Hoysted with Uncommon James. Picture: Getty Images

Queenslander Uncommon James was a hero horse last year when scoring the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate to give Matt Hoysted and training partner Steve O’Dea their first Group 1.

He hasn’t won since and it’s fair to say he hasn’t been in the exhilarating form that saw him capture a prized Group 1.

But he has rarely been far away and, last start, was less than two lengths off surprise winner Zapateo in the Group 1 Galaxy when he made a hit-and-run mission to Sydney.

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Caitlin Hoysted said Uncommon James must stand up in Saturday’s Group 2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm, where he is the $2.60 favourite, given that the competition is only going to get harder when it gets deeper into the winter carnival.

“This will be the easiest race he will face for the whole winter carnival, given the likes of Think About It, Private Eye and I Wish I Win will be coming up,” Hoysted said.

“The big boys are coming up in a couple of weeks.

“To be competitive against those sort of horses you would think he would need to be going very close in The Victory.

“You’d think he could do it.

“He would need to go well here to justify the next few runs.

“If he can’t win this, or if there not a massive excuse as to why he didn’t win, we would then think he probably can’t beat the likes of I Wish I Win and Think About It.”

Uncommon James is searching for his first win since last year’s Oakleigh Plate. Picture: Scott Barbour/Racing Photos via Getty Images

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Drawing barrier eight of nine in the Victory (1200m) has done Uncommon James no favours and Group 1 Sydney star jockey Tommy Berry may have to produce an ace ride.

Caitlin Hoysted is confident her horse has the runs on the board to be winning the Victory.

“He has been up against Imperatriz, maybe the best horse in Australia, a couple of times,” she said.

“One thing I have heard people say is that bringing Uncommon James back to race on his home track at Eagle Farm is a big advantage.

“But I am not sure what they are basing that on, saying we have the home course advantage, as he hasn’t raced on the track in almost two years.”

Front Page ($5) is considered the main danger to Uncommon James, while there has been money for Antino ($6.50) during the week.

Originally published as Uncommon James must stand up in Victory Stakes before winter carnival heats up