Jayzou can be rewarded for his consistency with a breakthrough victory at Hawkesbury today.
The Allan Kehoe-trained Jayzou goes around in race three on the program, the M and K Plumbing Class 1 Handicap over 1500 metres.
Jayzou has only won one of his 11 career starts, which came with a 1400 metre victory at Armidale last campaign, but with another five placings he rarely runs a bad race.
He has finished within a length of the winner at his last three outings including seconds at Wyong and Kembla Grange over 1350 metres and 1600 metres respectively.With today’s distance in between those two there are no fears about him running it out strongly and he will be rock hard fit.
Jayzou has gradually improved his rating with each run this campaign and his last-start figure places him well clear of his rivals if they run to a similar level.Paul King goes back aboard Jayzou and with three previous rides on the three-year-old for two placings, he knows the gelding well.
While the honesty of Jayzou cannot be questioned, the race contains a couple of runners coming off last-start failures but with scope for significant improvement, with the lightly-raced Imperator Augustus at the top of the list.The three-year-old colt tried to lead throughout when resuming in the Listed Canberra Guineas (1400m) but was beaten a long way from home and weakened badly to finish more than 20 lengths off the leader.
Trainer John Thompson sent him back to the trials after that for a fourth at Randwick and the decision to step up in distance should be noted.Imperator Augustus’ weakening resuming effort returned a low rating but he is capable of much better, his initial campaign resulting a Randwick maiden win over 1400 metres at just his second career start.
That was the only time he has raced second up – as he is today – and being a lightly-raced horse with scope he is capable of significant improvement.Savannah Rose is the other open to vast improvement on what she has shown so far this campaign.
She has disappointed but also has not had a lot go her way, finishing 5.2 lengths behind subsequent Group winner Old North when resuming at Warwick Farm then being trapped wide throughout when fading out of contention over 1700m at Wellington.She may have found the distance too far second-up that day and she did have strong form last campaign including a Warwick Farm maiden win over 1600 meters.
She should be fit for this and the 2kg claim of Jamie Innes brings her in well at the weights.
