Trainer Colin Little believes that the 2015 Quezette Stakes could be an option for Jalan Jalan after she scored an impressive victory in The Flemington Family Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Damien Oliver steered Jalan Jalan to victory in The Flemington Family Handicap at Flemington on Saturday. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Jalan Jalan was well-backed in the lead-up to The Flemington Family Handicap after she finished an unlucky third behind the talented Green Card in the Ted Rainford Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on July 4 and she was settled behind the leading group in the early stages of the race before she showed an impressive turn-of-foot when asked for an extra effort by jockey Damien Oliver to record a strong win from Gold Symphony and Portman.
Little revealed after the race that he was keen to see Jalan Jalan race on during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and he said after the race that he would likely give the Foreplay filly a week in the spelling paddock before she returns for a tilt at the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15.
“I think we have to keep her going, I’m not big on taking horses all through winter and then I don’t expect them to go on in the spring,” Little said.
“She might have a week in the paddock, freshen up and then take her back to 1100m and hope they go really hard.”
“She’s a young filly, pretty tough and we’ll probably think about that race.”
Jalan Jalan has proven a handful for Little at her Caulfield stable and she generally works far too hard during trackwork, but Oliver was able to settle the rising three-year-old off the speed for the second start in a row.
Little admits that Jalan Jalan is a completely different horse when she appears at the races, but he was not complaining with the acceleration that the filly showed in the concluding stages of the race.
“It’s just a different horse,” Little said.
“She was obviously off the bit a couple furlongs out and he had to be giving her a nudge but that’s the way we want to see her racing.
“She quickened and put them away.
“She’s (normally) very hot, but walking around before the race here she was as cool as a cucumber.”
Little is chasing his first win at Group level since he took out the 2014 edition of the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) with Text’N Hurley.
