Trainer Guy Walter is hopeful that Jacquinot Bay can turn around his poor form when he contests the Benchmark 85 Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Jacquinot Bay is chasing his first win since his victory in the Canley Heights Hotel in February last year. Photo by: Steve Hart
Jacquinot Bay has failed to fire in three starts since returning to the races in November; finishing fifth in the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 30 , seventh in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1150m) at the Randwick Kensington track on December 14 and ninth in the Schweppes Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens (1400m) on January 4.
The Galileo gelding was set to run at Warwick Farm last weekend, but Walter opted to give the six-year-old another week between runs and is hopeful that the space between starts as well as a return to Royal Randwick can help him find his best form this weekend.
“I thought he needed another week and he will be better suited by the 1600 metres at Randwick,” Walter told AAP.
“It will be nice to see him away from Rosehill; there haven’t been many come from behind there for some time and I don’t know why.
“There is nothing wrong with him and I’m just hoping he can turn things around.”
Jacquinot Bay started his racing career in the winter of 2012 with a win in the Cangon Stud Farm Maiden (1000m) at Goulburn before taking out three additional races at the provincial New South Wales venue in dominant fashion.
He made his metropolitan racing debut with a second place finish behind Strawberry Boy in the Paul Nobile Mile (1600m) at Warwick Farm on September 8 before recording his maiden city win in the Cellarabrations Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 22.
Walter was confident that Jacquinot Bay could record a win at Group level during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and started his campaign with a win in the Canley Heights Hotel (1300m), but failed to perform when stepped up in class in the Group 3 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap (1400m), the Become An ATC Sponsor Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick and the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1600m) at the same venue.
Jacquinot Bay will carry 58.5kg in the Benchmark 85 Handicap; with Chris Waller-trained Sacred Flyer set to carry the top weight of 60kg after his disappointing first-up effort in the Schweppes Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 4.
