Jukebox back to best for return in Sir John Monash Stakes

Former topline two year old Jukebox is among the nominations for the Group 3 $150,000 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Jukebox, above, is set to return to the race track in the Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Premiership front runner Craig Williams has been riding Jukebox in his preparation for his return to the race track and while he said the colt will be very competitive first up, he expects him to take a lot of improvement from the run.

“I am very happy with his action and his breathing is very good and while he’s probably not totally wound-up for Saturday, I’m really delighted with the way he’s feeling and I’m sure he’ll run well,” Williams told racing.com.

“He’s been reminding me of his two-year-olds days when he used to go out there and dominate his trials and was wanting the competition and that’s a great thing to have when you up against open class horses.”

Jukebox is one of sixteen sprinters nominated for the Sir John Monash Stakes and trainer Ciaron Maher is expecting a bold return to the track for the Snitzel colt who has a perfect two from two first up record and pleased the top Caulfield trainer with handy win in a recent 800m Cranbourne barrier trial.

“He kicked off with a good performance last prep, so we’re hoping for the same,” Maher said.

“His trials have been good and Craig’s been happy with him.”

“Craig’s in good form and he’s had a pretty good association with the horse.”

Williams has ridden Jukebox in all of his six race starts for three wins, twice during his two year old season and once as a three year old.

Williams is riding in career best form and took his season’s total to fifty-nine wins at Flemington last Saturday with a record breaking six winners, taking him nine wins ahead of his nearest rival Damian Lane on fifty wins in the 2017 – 2018 Melbourne jockeys’ premiership table.

Also included in the Sir John Monash Stakes nominations is the Symon Wilde trained Inn Keeper who has worked his way up through the grades with four straight wins which includes his last start victory in the $100,000 Golden Topaz (1200m) at Swan Hill on June 8.

Nominations for 2018 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m)

#	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	77×3133221	ASHLOR	G	4	Dan McCarthy	94
2	112815×031	BELWAZI	M	4	Jerome Hunter	82
3	26015×0004	BLONDIE	F	3	Brendan McCarthy	73
4	x39621143x	CRYSTAL DREAMER	G	5	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	103
5	12x54x4x28	DUCIMUS	C	3	Darren Weir	73
6	111x6x1111	INN KEEPER	G	4	Symon Wilde	92
7	11x1220x	JUKEBOX	C	3	Ciaron Maher	90
8	x16039x693	KHALAMA	M	5	Shane Nichols	83
9	29x111115x	LIFE ON THE WIRE	M	4	Scott Brunton	90
10	4218148x0x	MODERN WONDER	M	4	Darren Weir	80
11	32×7367341	MYSTIFIED	M	4	Ryan Balfour	78
12	x140x41x21	RILLITO	M	5	James Cummings	85
13	3431322×11	SHOWPERO	M	4	Wayne Francis & Glen Kent	85
14	19x7231x65	SUNDAY ESCAPE	G	7	Andrew Murray	92
15	22150x200x	THEANSWERMYFRIEND	G	4	Darren Weir	95
16	257x145x00	VOODOO LAD	G	6	Darren Weir	107