News

Jameka surges into Caulfield Cup favouritism

17th Sep 2016

Jameka is the new Caulfield Cup equal favourite following an easy victory in today’s Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m).

Jockey Nick Hall rode the four-year-old to perfection, sticking to the fence and not going around a single horse in the demolition job.

Such was the dominance of the win, the TAB bought the Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka from $13 into $7 equal favourite with Hartnell for the $3million Caulfield Cup on October 15.

Bred and offered by Gilgai Farm at the 2015 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Jameka (Myboycharlie x Mine Game) was purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing for $130,000.

Today’s win took her career earnings to almost $1.7million, and that could skyrocket with the big Spring features only weeks away.

“When she is able to use her stride like that and roll along she has a lovely action and she just seems to relax,’’ trainer Maher said.

“She has always been a really forward-type horse and as a two-year-old she surprised me and as a three-year-old she was strong and very competitive in whatever we put her in.

“As a four-year-old she has always been more mature than the other four-year-olds I have seen and she is on track at this stage.’’

Jameka will have one final lead-in run to the Caulfield Cup, likely in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October.

“She is a massive Cups contender now for sure,’’ jockey Hall said.

“When I hit the front I just knew that nothing was going to run me down.’’

Meanwhile Paul Murray will try his luck during the Melbourne carnival with the consistent Flash Fibian following his narrow second in the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.

Flash Fibian (Ready’s Image x Langfibian) will have two more runs in Sydney - the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes on October 2 and the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes a fortnight later – before heading south.

“He’s come back really well so we’ll see what’s down there later in the carnival but yeah, the plan has always been to go down after the Crowley,’’ trainer Paul Murray said.

“He’d trialled very well before today so we were always expecting a big run first up and he’s a good doer so I’m pretty confident he’ll hold up for a late crack at the carnival down there.’’

Flash Fibian was a $34,000 buy for Murray Livestock from Kooringal Stud at the 2015 Inglis Classic Summer Book.