Meteorite masterclass puts Jigsaw on a trans-Tasman trajectory

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Saturday’s victory, delivered on a big local day at Cranbourne, which meant a lot to trainer Cindy Alderson was a perfect showcase of Jigsaw’s (Manhattan Rain) current brilliance.

Alderson knows he’s not just holding form - he’s thriving. With the Meteorite secured on home soil, maybe New Zealand could be next?

A thriving veteran

Jigsaw’s front-running demolition in the Meteorite was the performance of a horse in the zone. His hat-trick - following wins in the $100,000 Apache Cat Classic at Cranbourne and the $300,000 G2 McEwen Stakes on Cox Plate Day - underlined his top class form and his resurgence.

Alderson admitted even she is a little surprised by how well her veteran sprinter is thriving.

“The horse (Jigsaw) is in super form, and as a 7-year-old, I’m not quite sure why, apart from he has really come into his own and put on weight.

“We actually call him Benjamin Button, the movie where a man ages in reverse, that seems to be Jigsaw at the moment,” she said jokingly.

The stable believes a strong spell set the platform, much like earlier in his career.

“He did spell really well before this preparation, and there is no doubt that it has helped him. Actually as a 4-year-old he was similar and won four races in a row, so he’s got one more win next start to match that.”

That revitalisation has brought a level of energy Alderson describes vividly.

And that racing style remains his biggest weapon.

“He pings the gates and he is a tricky one for opposition, as if they take him on they feel the consequences, or if they give him too much of a start, they can't catch him. If I had to race against him I would get annoyed also, as you really wouldn’t know what to do.”

A big day in Alderson’s backyard

Cranbourne Cup Day has always been special for Alderson, but this year was different.

Not only was Jigsaw a headline act, but the meeting featured the inaugural running of the Colin Alderson Classic over 1400m for 3-year-olds that was subsequently won by the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Maldini (Too Darn Hot {GB}), named in honour of her father - the 80-year-old horseman and local legend who helped shape Cranbourne into a major training hub.

With family gathered and emotion simmering beneath the surface, Alderson took a typically calm approach into the day.

“We have been in the position before with favourites for races like the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, so I don’t get too worked up before races these days.”

But she admitted this meeting carried an undeniable personal weight.

“There was a particular big build up to this day, and thankfully nothing went wrong leading into it and it was great to have the family around me.

“My dad’s here, so is my mum, my sister and her children. It’s a real family affair… that’s how we got started in the game.”

Her connection with apprentice jockey Logan Bates added another emotional layer.

“Logan is like family to me, he’s been with me all along and all my staff are like family. It’s a really proud moment.”

Alderson laughed when recalling her father’s activity on course.

“Dad (Colin) enjoyed the day and was very proud to have a race named after him, he was zooming down to the parade ring and to the committee ring, he was busy so it was no surprise later when he said he was exhausted.”

Growing up at Cranbourne made the victory even sweeter.

“It was great to win the big race on Cranbourne Cup day, I remember coming to Cranbourne as a 12 or 13-year-old, it’s like my backyard, so to have everyone there to watch and celebrate was wonderful.

“It’s a day we may struggle to ever replicate.”

The Logan Bates connection

Bates has been part of Alderson’s world long before he became a jockey, and she takes real pride in his development.

“I remember Logan coming to see us when he was a 15-year-old, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do at the time, but he has worked it out.

“It was very rewarding to do it with him, he is definitely bred to be a jockey. He has knuckled down and worked really hard.”

Alderson says Bates is a product of a Victorian apprentice framework that deserves credit.

“I have to give credit to the apprentice system, they really help these kids with everything, such as media training and all sorts of things.

“It is a first class system, having the likes of Darren Gauci and Alf Matthews, they have some great mentors, and Lisa Stevens does a great job.”

“They really do a great job helping these apprentices navigate what can be a tricky path, the highs are very high and the lows can be very low.

"For example Logan has won a lot of money on Saturday, but they talk through that with them and are helping them as people and not just jockeys, that is very important.”

A trans-Tasman trip

With the Meteorite win likely to lift Jigsaw’s rating into the high 100s, Alderson is weighing up the next step - and a Kiwi raid is high on the list. The Auckland Racing Club has already enquired about his suitability for the Group 1 Railway Stakes at Ellerslie.

“It’s something that I am strongly considering is a trip to New Zealand, quite a few people have mentioned that the track could suit and it may be a good plan.

“He will go up in the ratings, he was 104 leading into the race, and I haven’t looked yet but I hope he goes to 106, but maybe more likely 108.

“So he is getting very high in the handicap, he has an aggressive racing pattern so we will have to be careful with race planning, but he has earned it. There isn’t a lot on offer, so New Zealand could really suit.”

Alderson is impressed by what she sees across the Tasman.

“The prize money is really building, it was well-known for a long time that New Zealand lagged behind Australia significantly but with Entain coming in, there is a resurgence.

“There is a deep pool of sprinters in Australia, so I am warming to the idea.”

She expects the logistics to be seamless.

“We are only an hour away from the airport, and it’s not a long flight at all. Jigsaw has flown to Brisbane before and he ran very well there, so I can’t see the travel being any issue at all. He is an older horse, and the travel and stimulation may even sharpen him up a little more.”

Having watched prominent New Zealand trainers bring horses to Cranbourne over the years, Alderson is eager to reverse the trip.

“We have had the likes of Colin Jillings, Jim Gibbs, Alan Jones, and Donna Logan bring Kiwis over and stay with us so I have seen how they respond to the travel, it could be exciting to have a go.”

“With a horse like him in form, you have to take all of your opportunities don’t you.”

Australian raiders to New Zealand becoming common

Australia’s record in New Zealand’s major races is long-standing, and after a period of reduced activity, trans-Tasman campaigns are again on the rise. Australian-trained runners such as Atomic Force (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Gold Trail (Hussonet {USA}), Redoute’s Dancer (Redoute’s Choice) and Coniston Bluebird (Scenic {Ire}) all enjoyed big-race success across the ditch earlier this century.

That momentum has returned strongly, with stables like Chris Waller, Lindsay Park, and Annabel and Rob Archibald all sending successful teams last season. New Zealand’s desire to attract international competition - and its improving prizemoney - has made the pathway increasingly appealing.

Chris Waller’s Konasana (Dundeel {NZ}) delivered a lucrative extended campaign last season, including victory in the NZ$600,000 Group 2 Westbury Classic and two Group 1 fourth placings.

Racing Manager and Assistant Trainer for Chris Waller, Charlie Duckworth says the trip is surprisingly simple.

“Logistically it is very easy, if not easier than travelling state to state in Australia, also the flights aren’t very dear, which helps, they also have a subsidy to promote horses coming from Australia that dispels any rumours of them not wanting Aussies to come over.

“In fact it shows how they want Australians coming into the carnivals by boosting numbers a similar way to what they do in Perth.

“There is also a good amount of flights, which say, there isn’t for Perth so you can be quite selective, it really is very easy.”

He also highlighted the benefits of being based at Cambridge Stud's racing facility in Karaka.

“We are aided by having such a good relationship with Brendan Lindsay and Cambridge Stud, we stay there and they have great facilities, it really does add a string to the bow.

“Racing in New Zealand is going from strength to strength so we enjoy sending the right horse there. It is very easy logistically.”

Lindsay Park also enjoyed outstanding success in New Zealand last season. Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) claimed the Group 1 Waikato Sprint, Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) contested the Karaka Million 2YO, and Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) finished second in the inaugural NZ$3.5 million The NZB Kiwi.

Co-trainer Will Hayes says the horses returned better for the experience.

“It comes down to the flights and generally there are plenty of options. We had a great time travelling our horses to New Zealand last year, the logistics were convenient and the horses really improved off the travel.

“Here To Shock came back home and nearly won the Canterbury Stakes in Sydney after winning the Group 1 at Te Rapa, Hello Romeo went for a spell, but then he won first-up and Evaporate went from strength to strength.

“It is something that Lindsay Park believes in, is travelling horses, Mr Brightside while it didn’t work out for him in Hong Kong, he has come back and won the Makybe Diva Stakes, and Ka Ying Rising does Ka Ying Rising things.

“New Zealand racing is surging, and they make it very easy for us logistically, the prize money is good and we like to think of ourselves as forward thinking and targeting the right races with the right horses.”