Consistent short-course ace Jigsaw has led Cindy Alderson on a phenomenal path.
Strong as a youngster at two and three years old, Jigsaw drifted off course mid-career but has now reversed fortunes to claim two Group 1 titles.
Flown across to New Zealand to nab the Railway Stakes at Ellerslie back in January, marking the first Group 1 for Alderson and Logan Bates, Jigsaw boosted his victory streak to six by annexing the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield over the weekend.
Just seven days removed from his previous win at Caulfield matching the William Reid Stakes distance, Jigsaw ($5.50) surged clear leading all the way for a long-neck defeat of Angel Capital ($8.50), while Devil Night ($81) was a short-half-head back in the minor placing.
Curiously, Jigsaw matched his 1.08.83 timing for the 1200m from the week before.
Alderson holds the view that the marvellous winning spree cannot last forever.
“But he’s not giving me any indications it’s going to stop,” Alderson said.
“He’s just run exactly the same time as he ran last week, so he answered the back-up.
“It’s amazing for a small stable like ours to have the opportunity to have a horse like this at this stage of my career.”
One of eight Group 1 winners entered on Saturday, Jigsaw copped the widest gate.
When conferring with Bates about the race, emphasis was placed on the potency of the field more than the outer barrier.
“We were never too concerned about him drawing a wide gate, especially with the start being in a straight line,” Alderson said.
“He was able to control the race. He got an absolute flyer of a start and I thought Tropicus would go up and take us on, but they didn’t.
“Charm Stone gave him a run on the corner, but he kept fighting all the way to the line.”
At the conclusion of a seven-start push starting September that harvested six wins, Alderson pondered the remaining legs in Jigsaw’s prep.
“I keep taking it one day at a time,” Alderson said.
“I’ve never backed him up, so that could be the end of the preparation as he’s been in work for a long time, but he’ll tell me.
“I know him that well. He won’t do much for the following week and then he’ll let us know.
“Looking at him out there, he’s never looked better in his life.”
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