Two weeks on from a luckless third in the A$20 million Gr.1 The Everest (1200m), Jimmysstar had a well-deserved moment in the spotlight with a dominant victory in Saturday’s A$3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) at Randwick.
The New Zealand-bred son of Per Incanto burst on to the big sprint stage in Australia last season with explosive Group One victories in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m).
All roads led to The Everest this spring, but until Saturday, Jimmysstar had to settle for a series of strong-finishing minor placings. He ran fifth from gate nine in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1000m), second from the extreme outside gate in the Gr.2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), and then produced one of the standout performances of the race to be third and only a length and a half from Ka Ying Rising after jumping from gate 11 in The Everest.
Saturday was finally Jimmysstar’s day. The six-year-old had a good draw at last in gate four, and regular rider Ethan Brown gave him a perfect and ground-saving run in midfield along the rail.
Brown saw a gap when he needed one early in the home straight, and he angled Jimmysstar into it and pressed the button. Jimmysstar produced his customary blistering turn of foot, bursting into a clear lead and quickly putting the result beyond any doubt.
Jimmysstar went on to win by two and a half lengths from the late-finishing Lady Shenandoah. It was the biggest winning margin in the Russell Balding Stakes, which was added to the Sydney spring calendar in 2019.
“He was due,” Brown said. “I love this horse so much. He’s a beauty, and he’s matured now and he knows what it’s about.
“I spoke to him behind the gates and said, ‘You've got to jump better.’ He did jump better, but he was still a bit sluggish there, and that's just him.
“But the beauty of a good draw, we were able to overcome that and get him into gear. Once we found our spot, he had a beautiful resting run on a good speed and I just had to trust his finish.
“That's what I said to the team and everyone was aware of that. That's what he can do, and he certainly showed his true colours today.
“We just needed room, and when we got that, jeez he let go.”
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 leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher following a Rating 65 win at Hawke’s Bay, and the chestnut has now gone on to amass more than A$6 million in stakes. He has recorded 10 wins and seven placings in a 22-race career.
“This was obviously well deserved,” Maher’s assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said. “He has been running big races all prep. His run in The Everest was huge. To back it up two weeks later, after such a big run, it was not easy to do. He is such a tough horse and it was a very good ride from Ethan.
“It’s well deserved for the horse, because he was winless in this prep until today but could have won both of his last two with better luck. He keeps getting better.
“Obviously his biggest asset is his turn of foot. We tried to use that this prep and we found out in The Everest that he is able to do it even doing work early. An extra 100m today, with a beautiful ride, he was very impressive.
“He comes back better every prep and I think he will just keep improving. Plenty more good wins coming up.”
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. – NZ Racing Desk.
