Caulfield Cup winner Jameka continues to firm in The BMW betting despite trainer Ciaron Maher having some concerns about another heavy track at Rosehill on Saturday.
Trainer Ciaron Maher has some concerns about Jameka, above, handling a heavy track in The BMW at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Jameka remains the $3.80 favourite, in from $4.20, for The BMW at Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of noted mud runner Our Ivanhowe at $3.90, Australian Cup winner Humidor at $4.60 and last start Sky High Stakes winner Tavago.
Even though the record books show that Jameka won the 2015 Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on a heavy 9, Maher is still not certain how the mare will handle a rain sodden Rosehill track that is coming off a ten race program on a heavy 10 surface last Saturday.
“Just on that real heavy it’s a bit unknown for her and she has never been on it,” Maher told The Daily Telegraph.
“(She won the Crown Oaks at her only run on a heavy track) but it was nothing like the weather you’ve had up there this year and it was a different heavy.”
“That’s a big thing and I think on an even surface, anywhere from good to slow, she would be more than capable.”
Maher considers the two mudlarks, last week’s Ranvet Stakes winner Our Ivanhowe and Tavago who Jameka ran second to in the 2016 Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick twelve months ago and who returned to Sydney this Autumn to win the Group 3 $350,000 McGrath Estate Agents Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 11.
“They can obviously handle those conditions the ones in form up there,” Maher said.
“Tavago has beaten her before and he has already shown he can handle those conditions.
“He would probably be the hardest to beat and Our Ivanhowe just goes to a different level when he gets the right conditions like he did on Saturday.”
Jameak has drawn barrier two in the nine horse BMW field with Hugh Bowman sticking with her after the pair combined for a second to Humidor in the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 11.
