Master on Cups campaign at Caulfield
Story By Jason Hickson
Thursday, 17 August 2006: The lightly-raced five-year-old, prepared by Brian Jenkins at Bangholme, hasn’t raced since a fast-finishing fifth behind Art Success in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup (3200m) nine weeks ago.
Desert Master, who qualified for the Melbourne Cup with a win over 2800m at Flemington three starts back, must lift his rating to actually make the field so will try to pick up some more races during the spring en route to the Cup.
“He’s reasonably forward and I wouldn’t race him first-up over a mile and a quarter unless he was fit enough,” Jenkins told 4TAB.
“He’s done plenty of work and it’s not a long break after the winter carnival so he hasn’t lost a lot of condition.
“He’s qualified for the Cup but has to make the field so needs to earn some more weight during the spring.”
The grey galloper has started just 10 times for five wins from a mile to 2800m. After his Flemington success three starts ago he won the Listed Ramsden Stakes over the Melbourne Cup journey but lost the race on protest to Derringer.
He was then freshened before his Brisbane Cup run where he was well back throughout before hitting the line hard to finish 5.6 lengths from the winner.
Jenkins also has two other runners engaged on a top day at Caulfield in the promising Green Birdie and rejuvenated Bird Dancer.
Green Birdie, a colt by Catbird, has won two of his three starts including a last start success in the Caulfield Classic (1200m) in May and will start his spring campaign in the Vain Stakes.
“He’s shown a lot of promise but is probably not very well placed at the weights but he has to start somewhere,” Jenkins said.
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