Ozzie’s Kiwi stars to follow in ’25

[Wandering Eyes]

Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) can set himself up to become one of racing’s dominant forces in 2025 if he can win a Group One at his first attempt this Saturday, according to his major part-owner Ozzie Kheir.

The former Kiwi galloper will start as one of the favourites in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), where Kheir said connections were confident he can score and confirm himself as one of racing’s rising middle-distance stars.

Kheir said he felt Jimmysstar and fellow Kiwi-bred galloper Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto), who scored in the Big Dance in Sydney last Tuesday, would be among the successful owner’s best horses next year.

“Jimmy and Gringotts are the two up-and-comers for our stable going into next year,” he said. “I think they are the horses that could be the flagbearers next year for us.

“Jimmy is really going the right way, and he can set himself up for a big year on Saturday.

“Gringotts, he won the Big Dance last week and so the spring job is done for him. He’s a horse that just keeps improving and we’ve got big hopes he can move up to the big league next year.”

Jimmysstar has won seven of his 13 starts with four placings while Gringotts’ earnings swelled to $2.48 million after last week’s victory. He has eight wins and seven placings from his 16 starts to date.

Kheir reported that the stable’s best horse Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) had come through his Melbourne Cup ordeal, where he was well out the back before running on late, tired but sound.

“He pulled up very tired as it was an enormous effort,” Kheir said. “He’s pulled up sound and goes out for a well-earned spell.

“He was obviously our main chance and probably never got his chance. But it was a huge effort from the horse. We are pretty proud of him.

“He’s been an unlucky horse at his past two Cups. Before that he got so close to Via Sistina (in the Turnbull Stakes) and that form really stands out now.

“He’s won over a mile and he’s performed very well at 3200 metres and the last horse to do that for me was Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed).

“I think in the autumn he’ll probably stick to 2000 metres to 2400 metres as she’s now shown himself to be top three or top four weight-for-age horses in the country.”

Kheir also has a major share in an imported horse that he hopes can mirror the sharp improvement this campaign of Buckaroo.

Light Infantry Man (Fast Company), like Buckaroo, showed very little at his first Australian campaign but over the Flemington carnival showed his best form is not far away when a dominant winner under handicap conditions.

“He’s a horse we had a good opinion of not too dissimilar to Buckaroo,” he said. “It was the same for him – he needed to acclimatise and he now has so it’s a matter of whether he can get to the same heights as Buckaroo.”

It is expected Light Infantry Man will take his returned form to Perth for Group One races like the Railway Stakes (1600m) and Northerly Stakes (1800m).

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