James Ponsonby heads to Taree for the first time on Monday intent on winning

James Ponsonby’s inexorable run of horror draws has finally come to an end in time to coincide with his visit to Taree on Monday.

Ponsonby, who is based at The Oaks near Camden, has four of his string headed north including one of his TAB Highway performers, Clay Pan Boogie.

The son of Jet Spur has been the proverbial model of consistency in his eight starts, beating Warwick Farm resident O’Tartan Lass in a deep maiden at Bathurst early on.

Clay Pan Boogie has placed four times including a third to subsequent Country Championships runner-up Another One in a TAB Highway clash at Randwick in mid-December.

Ponsonby’s Eau D’Etoile descendant resumed with an encouraging third at Bathurst in a star studded sprint on June 8 behind the exciting local Tags and the previously unbeaten, Smuggler’s Bay.

‘’1100m is not his ideal distance obviously seven furlongs (1400m) and a little bit further is probably the right trip for him,’’ Ponsonby says.

“It was just a really nice first-up performance for a horse to go forward off. I think he will run really well on Monday.’’

‘’He is a horse who seems to enjoy his job and is a phenomenal trier.’’

Ponsonby will use Monday’s XXXX Gold Maiden Plate (1250m) to unveil the well-bred two-year-old All That Caper who sent out some positive signs in his June 9 trial at Kembla Grange under former champion apprentice Winona Costin..

‘’He is a really genuine little horse and has got good manners,’’ Ponsonby explained.

“He showed good gate speed when Winona jumped him out at Kembla. She asked him to have a bit of a quick go-forwards early then she grabbed hold of him and tried to teach him something after that.

‘’Hopefully we can utilise the advantage of being well drawn and try and have him up on pace or handy to that pace.’’

That will certainly be the desired M.O for Ponsonby pair Prince Six and Morgenstern in their respective Taree missions today.

Prince Six, a son of Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente, has at last drawn a barrier (2) that plays to his strength.

‘’The good barrier is a huge start for him,’’ Ponsonby says.

‘’He will be able to utilise a good gate for a change and hopefully on a tight-turning track like Taree, he should be able to put himself in either a leaders role or up on pace anyway.’’

Prince Six is another blueblood among Ponsonby’s Taree bound quartet.

Apart from being a son of a Melbourne Cup winner, his grand-dam It’s My Sin is a Group 1 winning daughter of Rosalind who won the Danish St Leger and was placed in the Danish and Swedish Oaks.

Ponsonby meanwhile is naturally pleased to see Costin reunite with More Than Ready son Morgenstern given that she steered him to his booming all the way ‘stable debut’ win at Gundagai three starts ago.

‘’If Morgenstern does jump as well as we know he can, I think he will put himself right into the mix,’’ Ponsonby said.

Originally published asJames Ponsonby’s fab four at Taree on Monday

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