Jameka’s lightweight will give the Crown Oaks winner a huge advantage when she lines up against the best local stayers and overseas raiders in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Lightweight Jameka, above, is the favourite for the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Ciaron Maher trained Jameka only has to carry 52kg in the Caulfield Cup and the bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have reacted by keeping the in-form mare as the clear cut $3.20 favourite.
Closest to her in the market order is Godolphin’s English stayer Scottish at $7.50 in front of the Darren Weir trained Real Love at $9.
“You hear all sorts of things regarding the overseas horses at Werribee,’’ Maher told the Herald Sun.
“One’s flying, ones gone backwards, one hasn’t eaten.”
“I don’t take any notice, to be honest. I’ve just got to get my mare as good as she can be and I’m confident that will make her very hard to beat.’’
Jameka is racing in fine form at the right time of the Carnival and incurred a 0.5kg penalty for the Caulfield Cup for winning the Group 3 $150,000 Bendigo Bank East Malvern MRC Foundation Cup (Naturalism Stakes) (2000m) at Caulfield on September 17 and then came out and ran second to Cox Plate second favourite Hartnell in the Group 1 $500,000 Yellowglen Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 2.
“I’m rapt with her, to be honest, and I really can’t wait for the race,’’ Maher said.
“She’s just done all the right things. She’s just kept improving with each run and that’s a great sign with any stayer.
“She looks perfect. To the eye now, she’s exactly where you’d want her to be.’’
Jameka has a great chance to win her second Group 1 trophy after taking out the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Maher could have three runners in the Caulfield Cup and with Nick Hall retaining the ride on Jameka, Mick Dee takes the ride on $31 chance Set Square and apprentice Ben Allen has been booked to ride Pemberley who is marked at $51.
Early market order for the Caulfield Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Jameka, $7.50 Scottish, $9 Real Love, $10 Exospheric, $11 Tally, Articus, Sir Isaac Newton, $19 Sir John Hawkwood, $21 Preferment, $26 Gallante, Set Square, Tarzino, $31 Our Ivanhowe, Howard Be Thy Name, Sacred Master, $41 Fanatic, $51 Almoonqith, Pemberley, $81 Big Money, De Little Engine, $201 Go Dreaming, Miss Rose De Lago, $301 Master Zephyr, Vengeur Masque.
