Trainers confident Mercurial Lad can carry big weight and salute in Cup
He’s carrying the top weight over 1800m but the Joseph/Jones training team is confident Mercurial Lad can get a cushy run and win the Murrumbidgee Cup at Wagga Wagga on Sunday.
The Pendragon seven-year-old hasn’t run a poor race this time in training which started off three runs ago with a Bega Cup (1600m) win.
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Co-trainer Paul Jones said the team played a waiting game with Mercurial Lad leading up to the race.
“We hadn’t locked in a jockey but we had a couple of standby and when we drew well we were happy to go with an apprentice with 2kg off,” he said.
“Heni (Ede) is a 55kg rider so he’s not going to have a lot of dead weight which was another thing we were looking at.”
Mercurial Lad ran 1½ lengths fifth last start in the Muswellbrook Cup (1500m) and has come through it in great fashion.
“He’s flying and he produced the best work he’s done this time in so that’s promising,” Jones said.
“We were confident going into the Bega Cup and we were pretty confident going into Muswellbrook and he ran well both times.
“I think this is his distance. We’ll see what he does on Sunday to see if he’s going to push on to the Wagga Cup. It could be his target and he’ll drop a lot in weight for it.”
Mookareena is back to her favourite track in the Wagga Town Plate Prelude (1200m) after running seventh in a Listed race behind Handle The Truth six weeks ago.
“We’ve freshened her up since the National Sprint and she’s ready for 1200m,” Jones said.
“She’ll be run off her legs early then hopefully storming home late so I’d rather be drawn out wide than stuck on the rail and not be able to get out.”
One Aye is the horse on the rise in the Joseph/Jones yard and the MTC Guineas Prelude (1400m) will shown her team just how good she is.
She won her past two before a let-up and Jones has plenty of faith in her so early in her career.
“We’re very happy with her. She had a nice, quiet trial and she was the last horse to pull up,” he said.
“She’s drawn awkward in a very strong field. You’d be happy if this was the Guineas field in a few weeks.
“I wouldn’t trade her for another other horse there. She’s a very promising horse and is one of the better horses in our stable and I don’t say that lightly.
“We’ll need to sit in the back half then have one crack at them.”
Bombulla Boy runs in the second race and he’s a big improver at his third run after running 11th and fourth to date.
“It was a total forgive run on debut and Rachel King got off him at his next start and said she would’ve won the race if he got clear running,” Jones said.
“The 1200m will suit him.”
Pride Of Kalaru needs the pace to be a cracker in the sixth race if he’s to come over the top of them from a wide draw.
“He lost his momentum last start when he should’ve won,” Jones said.
“He pulled up well and he’s not without a chance if there’s genuine speed in the race.”
‘DUD DRAW’ NOT ENOUGH TO STOP FILLY AT MUDGEE
By SHAYNE O’CASS
The Jane Clement-trained filly Jade’s now trademark dud draw won’t be enough to deny her well-earned first win when she lines-up in the Sea Eagles Members Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1600m) at Mudgee today.
Clement’s three-year-old drew barrier 12 in today’s assignment hot on the heels of her fourth placing at Tamworth on April 6 where she jumped from 13 of 14.
‘’She doesn’t know how to draw a barrier,’’ Clement said. ‘’I think they can come from anywhere at Mudgee which will help.
‘’Mikayla (Weir) knows her well, she has ridden her at just about every start bar a couple, and she has always done a good job on her.’’
Jade is a daughter of former Queensland ace Sizzling and is a half-sister to Property whose career highlight courtesy of his thumping win in the 2017 Group 3 ATC Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.
While she is yet to win a race herself, Jade has been mixing and matching it with some loftier than usual types in various country maidens namely Discreet Star, Kingstar Bullet and Chevconi.
Speaking of esteemed company, Clement’s Mudgee bound debutant Black Jade comes through an incredibly strong trial at Tamworth 12-days ago finishing a distant second to 2020 Kosciuskzo runner, Ice In Vancouver.
‘’She is still very green and has got a lot to learn but she’s a nice little filly,’’ Clement says.
“She will probably get over a bit more ground in the long run but she has drawn OK.’’
Black Jade is likewise a well-bred filly with a pedigree that the late Jack and Bob Ingham would be proud to call their own.
Black Jade is a (typical) daughter of Golden Rose winner Denman out of a mare by another Woodlands product in Commands.
On top of that, Clement’s filly boasts a double cross of Geoff and Beryl White’s beloved 1982 Golden Slipper winner, Marscay.
Black Jade is a half-sister to seven-times winner Southern Order and winner of four, House Wins, both of whom are/were trained by Clement.
Clement’s third and final runner at Mudgee today is the grey Kliftee, who resumes in the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Benchmark Handicap over 1100m with in-form apprentice Casey Waddell aiming to keep her tally ticking over.
‘’I am happy with the way he has come up,’’ Clement says. “He has got to start a prep somewhere. He will probably want a bit further because he won over a mile and 1900m but will be getting home at the finish.’’
Kliftee is another horse with a close connection to a past star of the Clement stable.
His brother Chrysolaus won close to $200,000 thanks in no small part to his win in the 2016 Tamworth Cup three weeks after he finished sixth in the Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick.
Originally published asMercurial Lad ready for Cup assignment
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