Ciaron Maher’s Jimmysstar is set to prove himself as a weight-for-age sprinter in this Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
The gelding will make his first appearance since winning the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 22, where he surged late for a thrilling victory. Maher’s assistant trainer, Jack Turnbull, said Jimmysstar has been kept fresh to replicate that performance. “We keep him fresh, obviously, because of the way he ran first up,” Turnbull explained.
With eight wins from 15 starts, the son of Per Incanto will tackle his first Group 1 weight-for-age race. A strong showing could earn him a spot in the $3 million Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 5.
Maher’s other entries, I Am Me, Growing Empire, and Estriella, are in New South Wales, with the latter two competing in $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill this Saturday. Growing Empire is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Newmarket Handicap, and Turnbull believes he’s close to making an impact in Group 1 company.