Jimmy is a star for Maher: Saturday’s Royal Randwick round-up

It was a solid card at Randwick on Saturday afternoon as the Group 1 racing in New South Wales winds down. There were some smart performances across the course of the day with Jimmysstar taking the top honours with his win in the All-Aged Stakes.

Group 1 win for Jimmysstar

There is a 50% strike rate now in the career of Jimmysstar, a winner of nine of his 18 starts. Saturday at Randwick saw him pick up the second Group 1 success of his career, the All-Aged Stakes over 1400m.

His prior Group 1 win had come over 1100m in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in February. He had looked a deeply progressive type in the past but it is only this autumn that he has really started to put it all together into winning performances at the highest level.

Joliestar was the runner-up, a little over half a length behind the winner. She had added to her Group 1 winning tally in the Newmarket in early March so her presence in the places helps to add plenty of strength to the level of form.

Ciaron Maher said afterwards that he is going to be trained for the Everest in October. The way that he finishes off his races with a powerful sprint finish could make him a dangerous runner in that contest.

Nepotism with Champagne performance

The Champagne Stakes went to Nepotism for Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes. It was just the third run of his career and his second win after a third-placed finish when first-up. That third was in the Group 2 Todman which suggests that connections thought plenty of him from an early time to pitch him in that deep.

His wins have come on a Heavy 8 track and now a Soft 5 so he will have to show that top-of-the-ground suits him as well but given the Todman was on Good 4 there is no reason to think (at this stage anyway) that he is opposable wherever he goes next, if the ground is good.

Mazu is back with a winning run

Ground with some juice in it has always been a plus for Mazu. It was his first win since he saluted in the Hall Mark in 2024, going back-to-back in the Group 3 contest. He has a Group 1 success to his name but tends to fall a little short at that level. It was the Doomben 10,000 at Eagle Farm back in May 2022 where he picked up that sole win.

Group 3 company is a very winnable level for him and Randwick has long been a favourite track. Joseph Pride has undoubtedly had better sprinters through his hands than this gelding but given the right race, he is still a big player, winning comfortably on Saturday.

Bois D’Argent takes the Plate

Ethan Brown gave Bois D’Argent the perfect front-running ride to run out the winner of the JRA Plate. It was an excellent day for the 25yo as he would later steer Jimmysstar to victory as well.

Bois D’Argent had to give 2kg or more to all of his rivals in the race but that proved to be no obstacle for him. He is far from a regular winner, this is his first since May 2024 and that was his first since May 2023 so he would not be a natural pick to back up this win with another next time he is in action.

The Group 1 bandwagon is done for now in New South Wales, rolling on to South Australia and Morphettville where the Australasian Oaks and Robert Sangster Stakes await us next Saturday with some more tips to take on the betting sites!