Kaye Jay (AUS)
3 g Crackerjack King – Kaye Club by High Chaparral)
O: Mrs B K Saunders & B A E Saunders
B: Mrs B K Saunders & B A E Saunders
T: Clayton Douglas
W: Sportsbet Jockey Watch Maiden Plate, 1600m, February 4, Sandown-Hillside
Mornington-based trainer Clayton Douglas has eyes on the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) with Kaye Jay (Crackerjack King) after the gelding scored at the second time of asking in a maiden at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday.
Having run second at Cranbourne over 1400 metres on January 22, the son of Crackerjack King (Shamardal) improved on that effort to beat Mr Independent (Doubtland) by 0.8 lengths under Jamie Mott.
There was a further 0.4 lengths back to the third-placed Butterscotch (The Autumn Sun).
“This horse has taken leaps and bounds from the time he arrived,” the winning trainer 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.”
Douglas is now contemplating setting Kaye Jay for the South Australian Derby at Morphettville in May.
“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-breeder 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.”