Stakes success for rising star Jimmy

[Wandering Eyes]

Exciting prospect Jimmysstar made a one-act affair of the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday when powering to a two and a quarter length victory.

The Ciaron Maher-trained son of Per Incanto claimed his first stakes victory and the lightly-tried former Kiwi looks to have plenty more instore.

Sent out the $2.30 favourite, Jimmysstar was ridden with supreme confidence by jockey Blake Shinn, who was happy to travel wide throughout before giving the five-year-old time to balance around the bend before displaying a devastating turn of foot to run out a ready winner.

Winning trainer Ciaron Maher knew the smart galloper was back to his best after an impressive fresh-up victory over 1100m at Caulfield last month and it was more of the same as Jimmysstar relished stepping out to 1400m.

“I was rapt with his first up run to be able to do it over that trip (1100m),” Maher said.

“This is right back to his sweet spot and he’s always shown this sort of ability. Just mentally he wasn’t there so I was really hoping that this prep panned out this way to give him a bit of confidence. The team’s done a super job and Blake’s got an impeccable record on him.

“I said to Blake, if he’s the horse we think he is, just ride him where he lands and hopefully we’ll get over the top of them and fortunately that’s how it panned out.

“He’s just come on naturally. He’s just grown up and he is maturing, you know. He’s a Kiwi horse, we all know they get better with time.

“I think he’s just sort of recalibrated a bit. you couldn’t have planned it better if you want to raise the bar over the next couple of months.

“I’m rapt with him and he’s got a big ownership group and there’s nothing better than having a nice winner on a big day like this.”

The winner of two of his three starts in New Zealand for Hastings trainer Guy Lowry, a majority share in Jimmysstar was sold to clients of Ciaron Maher in September of last year. He started his Australian career on a perfect note with victories in all of his first three starts, including a Benchmark 84 handicap at Caulfield and the A$175,000 Shooting Stars (1500m) at Cranbourne.

Jimmysstar has now had 12 starts for seven wins and three placings, earning more than A$494,972 for an ownership syndicate headed by Ozzie Kheir but still including his breeders Little Avondale Stud and Pete and Christine Algie.

Maher indicated the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) back at Caulfield on November 16 was the likely feature spring target for Jimmysstar.

Jimmysstar is by Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto out of Anniesstar. The Zed mare won five races including the Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m), while her full-brother Jacksstar was a seven-time winner up to Group Two level and also placed in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m). Half-brother Bourbonaire placed in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

Anniesstar is the dam of three named foals, and all of them have been winners. Charms Star is a two-time winner headed by the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m), and she was also runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Queensland Oaks (2200m) as a three-year-old. Golden Cup has been a three-time winner in Malaysia.

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