Melbourne Cup form: Jet Away will stay the distance

The 3200m of the Melbourne Cup won’t be a problem for the David Hayes trained Jet Away according to Glen Boss who rides the import in the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes(2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Glen Boss is certain Jet Away will run the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup.

Glen Boss is certain Jet Away will run the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Boss replaced Damien Oliver who was aboard the former English galloper when he made a long run before finishing fourth to Fawkner in the Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19.

Jet Away, currently number thirty in the order of entry for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday, needs to win the Mackinnon Stakes to gain a place in the final twenty-four horse field.

After watching the seven-year-old produce an outstanding run in the Caulfield Cup, Boss has no doubts he will run out the 3200m of the Cup.

“What I saw in the Caulfield Cup dismisses any suggestion of his ability to stay, he made a 1400m run and anyone who knows Caulfield, you just don’t run up that hill, around the corner four wide and then attack for the lead at the half mile and then still have the balls to still fighting out the finish at the 100m and get beaten a length,” Boss told Racing Network.

“His stamina is right there, he has got that, it is not a problem.

Boss has studied Jet Away’s race history in England before joining Hayes at Lindsay Park as well as his recent Australian starts and said that he had never shown any traits of over-racing like he did in the Caulfield Cup when Oliver had to circle the field from the 1400m when he wouldn’t settle.

“I had a look through all his form and there was nothing to suggest what he did on Caulfield Cup day would happen again, he has never done it before, the Turnbull Stakes, 2000m fresh, he never really got on the bridle at any stage and was exposed three wide most of the race,” Boss said.

Boss was pleased with the way Jet Away felt underneath him when he rode him on Tuesday and Hayes has added a crossover noseband to the gear of Jet Away for Saturday to help him relax.

“I rode him on Tuesday and he just gave me a good feel, he relaxed really well underneath me, I think they are going to put a cross over on him, it is going to be very loose, I don’t want it tight,” Boss said.

“He has got to show me he is going to relax, if he goes out and gets a little fired up and still wins the Mackinnon  I am not going to be confident come the first Tuesday in November that he will relax over two miles.”

Boss, who rode the great Makybe Diva to three consecutive Melbourne Cup victories from 2003 to 2005 said that if Jet Away failed to make the final Melbourne Cup field, he would be happy to sit on the sideline rather than punch around an outsider with no chance.

“I’ve been there and done it before, I have got a good record in the Melbourne Cup and I would like to keep it as good as I possibly can,” Boss said.

Jet Away is the $2.80 favourite for the Mackinnon Stakes with the Toorak Handicap winner Solzhenitsyn the second pick at $4.40.

While in the Melbourne Cup Jet Away is well in the betting at $14 and a win in the Mackinnon Stakes would shorten that price significantly.

The Luca Cumani trained Mount Athos has come in for some solid Melbourne Cup support and is now the $7.50 favourite in front of Fiorente at $8 and the French mare Verema and Irish St Leger winner Voleuse De Coeurs at $12.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.