Sons Of John not far off his best, says jockey Jeff Penza

SONS Of John, who came closer than any other horse to beating mighty mare Winx this season, is ready to return to winning form at Rosehill on Saturday.

Sons Of John, centre, was pipped on the line by a flying Winx, right, in the Theo Marks Stakes last year. Picture: Simon Bullard

SONS Of John, who came closer than any other horse to beating mighty mare Winx this season, is ready to return to winning form at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Jeff Penza, the regular rider of Sons Of John, believes the gelding is back to his best after two runs from a spell and is suited going to 1800m for the Thomson Reuters Tax and Accounting Handicap.

The Jason Attard-trained Sons Of John has missed a place in both runs this campaign but Penza said there were encouraging signs last start when narrowly beaten into fifth place behind Pajaro in the Scone Cup.

“He ran really well at Scone and was beaten about a half length in a blanket finish,’’ Penza said. “It was a much improved run from his first-up effort in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup when he was a little disappointing.

“But I feel he has just taken a little bit longer this campaign to reach full fitness and I also think he has lost a bit of that dash he showed last spring. I ride this horse in all his work and I’ve got no doubt he has really come on since Scone and the 1800m is going to suit him.’’

Sons Of John is undefeated in two attempts at 1800m and Penza believes the gelding is capable of shouldering topweight of 61kg on Saturday.

Although winless in five starts this season, Sons Of John very nearly defeated champion Winx in the Group 2 Theo Mark Stakes at Rosehill last September.

Winx unleashed a phenomenal late burst to catch Sons Of John on the line and since then the mare has been untouchable, reeling off another six straight wins, five at Group 1 level. This included Winx’s outstanding Epsom Handicap win last October where Sons Of John ran third.

“I don’t think he is far off his best form,’’ Penza said of Sons Of John. “I think he is ready to run a very good race on Saturday.’’

Penza has four rides at Rosehill including the Chris Waller-trained Hursley (race 6), Life Of Reilly for Paul Murray in the Monaco Cup (race 7) and Paul Perry’s Mad About You (race 9).

Sons Of John with trainer Jason Attard.

One of NSW’s hardest-working and most consistent jockeys, Penza has ridden 83.5 wins so far this season from 830 rides to be eighth on the state premiership table. Only Grant Buckley (871 rides) has ridden in more races than Penza this season.

With just under two months of the season remaining Penza has set himself the goal of riding 100 winners for the season, a feat he has achieved in five of the past seven years.

Penza also has five rides at Gosford on Thursday including the well-bred Godolphin juvenile filly Banuelo (race 5), a daughter of Street Cry out of Albaicin, making her a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Generalife.

Jeff Penza has set his sights on riding 100 winners this season. Picture: Jenny Evans

Originally published as Sons Of John not far off his best, says jockey Jeff Penza