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 |
