Australian Derby An Option For Jameka

Trainer Ciaron Maher believes that the 2016 Australian Derby could be an option for Jameka if she fires at the start of her autumn campaign.

Jameka could take on the colts and geldings throughout the 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Jameka could take on the colts and geldings throughout the 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Jameka has raced exclusively has generally raced in fillies company during her career to date, but she beat the boys to take out the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) on Cox Plate Day before she proved far too strong for her rivals in the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 5.

Maher has put together an ambitious autumn path for Jameka and he told Racing.com that she will likely have her second-up start in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5 before potentially taking on the colts and geldings again in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m).

“It is a bit of a balancing act really,” Maher said.

“She will go second-up into the Australian Guineas here and then there is a bit of a crossroads for her.

“She can either take on the boys in Sydney or head towards the Derby or if they look a bit strong we can take the fillies route and head to the Oaks.”

Jameka made her racing debut with a second place finish behind Parcel at Bendigo on December 21 last year and she performed well without winning in the Inglis Premier (1000m) on February 7 and the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on February 21 before she recorded her maiden race win in the Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at the same venue on March 14.

The Myboycharlie filly started her 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with placings in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 5 and the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 26 before she savaged the line late to finished second in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at the same venue a fortnight later.

Jameka beat a strong field to take out the Moonee Valley Vase and she showed her staying capabilities when she ran her rivals ragged from the front in the Crown Oaks.

Star filly Research (1989) and Danny O’Brien-trained Shamrocker (2011) are the only fillies to have won the Australian Derby in the past 30 years, while Maher is chasing his first Group 1 victory in Sydney.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.