Kaye Jay’s journey has been transformative since his opening competitive appearance with trainer Clayton Douglas.
The gelding’s maiden score at Sandown has prompted Douglas to eye the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville come May.
Making it his second race, Kaye Jay ($5) powered to a three-quarter length win in Wednesday’s Sportsbet Jockey Watch Plate, defeating Mr Independent ($9.50) and leaving Butterscotch ($15) a long neck adrift in third.
“This horse has taken leaps and bounds from the time he arrived,” Douglas said.
“I think he got beaten 20 or 30 lengths in his first ever jump-out. He was completely hopeless, but he has taken that improvement, and you like to see that in three-year-olds, especially staying types.
“I haven’t had to train him up too much this time, he’s got there himself and to run well at his first start and then win at his second, he can definitely go forward.”
Sandown Hillside Race 1 | Kaye Jay
After finishing 2nd on debut, the @c_douglasracing 3YO goes one better, stepping up to a mile in town 👊🏻
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy pic.twitter.com/80TO3LInFc— Racing.com (@Racing) February 4, 2026
Having been runner-up on debut at Cranbourne a month ago, Kaye Jay made the most of Sandown’s open spaces on Wednesday.
The wide barrier initially irked Douglas, but Jamie Mott steered the gelding into an excellent rhythm.
Douglas credited the lively early fractions for enabling Mott to attain that position as the tempo dropped.
While rated at 1600m on Wednesday, Douglas is eager for Kaye Jay to tackle greater distances, projecting him as a strong four- or five-year-old.
“I would like to think he could be an Adelaide Derby type,” Douglas said.
“He’s a big, strong horse.
“With the facilities (of owner Barb and Barry Saunders) at Deniston Park, we can chop and change things with the Mornington stable.
“He’s a horse with plenty of substance there and when he gets out to those staying trips he should really come into his own.”
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The post Clayton Douglas has SA Derby dreams with Sandown winner first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
