Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au
Former Kiwi galloper Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) has stamped himself as one of the most exciting sprinters in Australia with a brilliant victory in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old was given a masterful ride by Ethan Brown, tracking Broadsiding midfield on the fence throughout before patiently waiting for the gaps to appear.
When the son of Per Incanto found clear air, the acceleration was instant as he ran out a ready winner from Joliestar and Sunshine In Paris.
Jimmysstar has now won nine of his 18 starts with a further five placings and commenced the campaign with a stunning win in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m).
He was subsequently third on an off track at The Valley in the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) and fourth after blundering at the start in the Gr.1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m).
“He is such a ripper,” a delighted Ciaron Maher said. “This prep, he has come out this time with the Oakleigh Plate (Gr.1, 1100m) and his next two runs have been absolutely outstanding. He has run in four Group Ones and to claim two of them is pretty special.
“He’s a cool horse, Jimmy with a great ownership group and he’s got a pretty cool jockey as well. I’m just thrilled. This has been a real come-out preparation for Jimmy”.
“Credit to Ozzie (Kheir, part-owner) and his team, with Matt Becker finding these horses. They’re very good at it”.
“A couple of states, it doesn’t matter, he performs and I take a lot of pride in that.”
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 Maher following a Rating 65 win at Hawke’s Bay, and the chestnut has now gone on to amass A$2,139,272 in prizemoney.
Further lucrative targets loom, with the A$20 million The Everest (1200m) an obvious target in the spring and Maher drawing comparisons with recently retired stablemate Bella Nipotina, who won the lucrative contest.
“I was thinking about The Everest after the Oakleigh Plate,” Maher said. “The other day, he ran home a quicker time in the TJ Smith than he did in the Oakleigh Plate, and his Oakleigh Plate was blistering”.
“He’s just a very good horse and I’m sure he’ll make his presence felt in The Everest.”
Jimmysstar was bred by Wairarapa couple Pete and Chrissy Algie in partnership with Masterton’s Little Avondale Stud.
Stud proprietors Sam and Catriona Williams along with the Algies remain in the ownership of the star galloper.
The chestnut gelding is by Little Avondale Stud’s outstanding 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) and her half-brother Bourbonaire was runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
Anniesstar is the dam of three named foals, all of them have been winners, including Charms Star, winner of 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
