Murray Baker believes Get That Jive will be at his best at distances past 1400m but says there's no reason why he can't win Saturday's Gr.3 Red Badge Spring Sprint on the way through.
The Cambridge trainer was rapt with Get That Jive's first-up win at Hastings in the Rating 85 1400m race a fortnight ago and wasn't ruling out an Australian campaign for the Street Sense four-year-old gelding after this weekend.
"It was an outstanding run," Baker said of Get That Jive's win."He's been running in Group races right through and he was only once out of the money last year. We're having a go because it's a Listed race and it fits in with his programme - and it's good money as well."
Stakes-placed in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes at Ellerslie as a two-year-old and in the Gr.2 Great Northern, Waikato and Avondale Guineas in consecutive starts last season at three, Get That Jive finished eighth in this year's New Zealand Derby before his winter spell.Resuming under Matthew Cameron, Get That Jive settled midfield before reeling in the leaders to score his second win from eight starts and ensure his return to stakes company.
Cameron will get down to 53kg to ride Get The Jive on Saturday."There's no reason why he shouldn't run a good race. He's dropping 4kg from the other day and he's won in the wet before, though you never know with Hastings because it's a different kind of wet," Baker said.
"We'll just assess what he does after Saturday but there's always Australia. I'm addicted to Australia."Baker and training partner Andrew Forsman will produce seven runners at Hastings on Saturday, among them Mime and Saint Emilion in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and Jon Snow in the Gr.2 Sacred Falls Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m).
Baker said Mime had progressed well since her second placing in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings and he had few concerns with the prospect of a slow track.Drawing barrier 18 has done Mime few favours Saint Emilion, backing up from his fresh-up win in the greys race at New Plymouth last Saturday fared better with barrier two.
Jon Snow steps out for the first time on raceday for the season in the Guineas and Baker expected him to make his presence felt."I wouldn't be lining him up if I didn't think he was capable of winning it. He goes pretty good, this horse. He's trialled well and he's fit, but whether he goes on a wet track, I'm just not 100 per cent sure," Baker said.
