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Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Cox Plate winner jumps out at Caulfield
Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Sir Dragonet (Camelot) impressed connections in his 800 metre jump out at Caulfield on Tuesday morning with the All Star Mile (1600m) on March 13 a possible first up option for the European import.
Sir Dragonet has not been seen since his sixth place finish in November’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) and was ridden by Melbourne Cup winning rider Jye McNeil in the jump out. Co-trainer David Eustace said that that a new routine has reinvigorated the five-year-old.
“Every time a jockey wants to put him up he really wants to get on with it and go a bit further in his work and he showed that again with Jye this morning as Jye has a bit of a job to pull him up,” Eustace told Racing.com.
“He looks great. His coat has come through. He looked a bit woolly after the spring but he looks a completely different horse now.
“He’s certainly showing all the right signs of really enjoying a change of scenery predominantly down at the beach which is obviously a new thing for him and it seems to have really reinvigorated him.
“He’s a brighter, more enthused, even happier horse we feel this time around than when we got him.”
Also, in the first jumpout was stablemate Southern France (Galileo), who has raced just twice since winning the Sandown Classic (Gr 2, 2400m) in November 2019.
“He trialled really nicely,” Eustace said. “He’s obviously been a long time off the track but he trialed nicely and looks fantastic.
“He’s a gelding now and he’s got a more athletic and slightly lighter-framed horse. He’s got a beautiful action on him and there are some nice races for him this time around like the Australian Cup, Tancred, Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth.”
Last year’s San Dominico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) Anders (Not A Single Doubt) also stepped in the second jump out and showed he was back on track again following a setback last year. The colt was last seen finishing a well beaten last in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington on October 31.
“It was really pleasing to see him return so well after an up-and-down spring,” Eustace said.
“He’s matured nicely from his break. He showed his usual zest for it and jumped and ran along a couple of lengths in front as he normally is and he was just held onto as he was in his first jump-out but he seems in really good heart.”
Eustace said the Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Flemington next month was under consideration for the son of Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice).