Uncommon James set for Sydney Group 1 raid ahead of winter carnival crossroad
Queensland sprinter Uncommon James will head to Sydney for another shot at a Group 1 before being primed for an assault on the winter carnival back home.
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Group 1 winner Uncommon James will head to Sydney for a hit-and-run mission in The Galaxy before being set up for a winter carnival assault in his own backyard as trainers Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted look to put his spring campaign behind them.
The Oakleigh Plate winner wasn’t at his explosive best during the spring, with Hoysted admitting he erred in putting the blinkers on, but hopes that is now a distant memory as they dare to dream of the time-honoured Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.
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While Uncommon James is untested over the 1400m trip of the Stradbroke, Hoysted said they will toy with the idea after returning from Sydney, where they will look for revenge after running second in The Galaxy last year behind Mariamia.
“He is three weeks away from being back at the trials and we are looking at running him first-up in The Galaxy in Sydney,” he said.
“It might be his only run down there, we will plan on giving him one run, two at absolute most, down there and setting him up for the winter here in Brisbane.”
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Bred and owned by Hoysted’s wife Caitlin, the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) looms large for Uncommon James as connections weigh up the $3m Stradbroke.
Such was the boom around the horse early in his career, Uncommon James was a $4.50 favourite for the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) in 2022 after demolishing his rivals in his Victorian debut.
He never made it to the race, with his campaign prematurely ended due to a minor leg injury.
“He has to show he can do a Stradbroke, we could give him a lead-up to the Doomben 10,000 and then the fork in the road is the Kingsford Smith (Cup), we run him there over 1300m and that is our gauge,” Hoysted said.
“We toyed with the 1400m last prep but it was my blue putting the blinkers on him second-up (in the Schillaci) and it had him too fired up.
“Leading into the Manikato we were tossing up whether to run him in the Sir Rupert Clarke after it, but he was too aggressive and too keen, so that’s why we pulled up with him.
“We will see how he comes back, hopefully he has totally forgotten that prep and comes back relaxed, it gives him every chance to see out the 1400m if that’s the case.”
After being beaten by wonder mare Imperatriz twice in three starts during the spring, Hoysted joked he is glad she won’t be coming to Brisbane for the winter.
“What she was at the start of the prep and how she ended it, it turns out she is a freak, so we are glad to be dodging her this prep,” he said.
Originally published as Uncommon James set for Sydney Group 1 raid ahead of winter carnival crossroad
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