Jadeer could be smoky
HALL of Famer John Hawkes has designs on another $1.5 million Victoria Derby with the underrated Jadeer at Flemington today – four decades after the champion trainer first won the classic.
A youthful Hawkes prepared Galena Boy to win the 1975 edition, upsetting the Bart Cummings duo of Romantic Archer and Gold And Black.
Hawkes has since won the race again with Arena in 1998 and believes Jadeer has the staying ability to prove hard to beat in today’s big race.
Galena Boy and Arena may not have been the best threeyear-olds of their generation but they were strong stayers and that provided the winning edge in their Derby victories.
“Jadeer can stay, he is a genuine horse, but whether he has the class, well, we are about to find out,’’ Hawkes said.
“But for these three-year- olds, it is all about running the 2500m and that won’t be a problem for Jadeer. He is tough and will stay.’’
Hawkes said Jadeer had shown his resilience to make it to the Victoria Derby in his first race preparation.
The Fastnet Rock colt won his maiden over 1300m on debut at Hawkesbury in August and has shown improvement through the spring, including his last-start second to Extra Choice in the Geelong Derby Trial (2200m).
Jadeer was coming back at Extra Choice on the line at Geelong yet the Hawkes colt is rated a $26 chance and his rival is half those odds.
Most rival trainers agree the horse to beat in the Victoria Derby is the Mick Pricetrained Tarzino.
TAB Fixed Odds has Tarzino short at $2.60 in a race that has not been kind to favourites in recent years.
Efficient ($2.40 in 2006) is the only favourite to win the Derby in the past 10 years, while the race has produced some huge upsets – including $101 outsider Rebel Raider (2008) and $41 chance Fiveandahalfstar (2012).
Tarzino has drawn gate 10 and Price has hinted he may instruct jockey Craig Newitt to be a little more positive early on the three-year-old.
“I’ll be seeing the stewards and telling them the instructions will be that Craig (Newitt) will endeavour to ride him a bit more forward because of the barrier,” Price said.