Four-year-old Sergeant Major features a Listed victory in his past performances, and Ciaron Maher’s assistant Johann Gerard-Dubord is convinced greater things await the gelding.
He concedes performances have been lacklustre post his South Pacific Classic (1400m) score in the prior Sydney autumn, but remains a vocal proponent.
“If he finally puts it all together, he’s got a lot of ability. We haven’t seen the best of him yet,” Gerard-Dubord said.
The gelding also recorded stakes placings on two occasions at three years old, preceding subpar efforts in four spring races last year.
After running midfield at Eagle Farm that November, an extended vacation was prescribed, which Gerard-Dubord says paid dividends despite no on-track gains from the Queensland excursion.
“In his work, he looks like he could be anything, but he has been a bit disappointing at the races, even though he is a Listed winner,” he said.
“Last prep, we felt he wasn’t going as well as he could and he’s a gelding, so he is always going to keep improving. We stopped, reset and came back at this time of year.
“The trip to Queensland seems to have done the job, like it did with Gringotts and Jimmysstar.
“He has changed physically and mentally. He has done really well.”
Sergeant Major reminds Gerard-Dubord of Gringotts, who matured into a star at five and dominated the past pair of The Big Dance (1600m) races.
The trainer suggests the current prospect might follow suit in targeting elite mile events.
“He has always shown a lot of ability, and I have always compared him to Gringotts,” Gerard-Dubord said.
“He could be a Big Dance horse at some stage. We’ll play it by ear. But he is back at a good time, and there are good races in Queensland at the back-end of the carnival if he’s going well enough.”
Early punters have latched on, with Sergeant Major firming from $16 into $11, carrying 57kg aided by the three-kilo deduction from jockey Mollie Fitzgerald.
Discover the latest betting sites offering value on Sergeant Major’s eagerly awaited Randwick appearance.