Australia: Jimmysstar starts in seventh straight Group 1 in Kingsford Smith Cup

The only time the veteran Australian sprinter Jimmysstar has not started in a Group 1 in the last eight months occurred in early November when he won the $1.96 million Russell Balding Stakes.

Otherwise, Jimmysstar has started in six consecutive Group 1 sprints, beginning with a third-place finish in the $13.09 million Everest Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney last October. The streak will extend to seven straight appearances in Group 1 races when Jimmysstar starts in Saturday’s $713,300 Kingsford Smith Cup at 6 1/2 furlongs at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.

A win would be the first of the year for the 6-year-old Jimmysstar, who won the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne last November, but has lost his last four starts. On May 16, Jimmysstar was fourth by slightly less than 2 1/2 lengths in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 at six furlongs at Doomben Racecourse, closing from 10th in a field of 15 as the 5-4 favorite.

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Jimmysstar, a winner of 11 of 27 starts, will not be that short of a price in a field of 16 in the Kingsford Smith Cup. Trained by Ciaron Maher, Jimmysstar starts from post 15 in a field of 16, and runs against two other highly-regarded Group 1 winners in Private Eye and Fangirl.

As of Wednesday, Jimmysstar was the 4-1 favorite, with Private Eye at 5-1 and Fangirl at 7-1 in the big field.

Private Eye, a winner of 14 of 50 starts, has lost three starts since the Group 2 Moonga Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield last October. An 8-year-old gelding, Private Eye was third by slightly less than a half-length in his last start, the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on April 18.

Fangirl drew the outside post in the Kingsford Smith Cup, which is not ideal but may not prevent her from winning, considering she runs from off the pace.

Fangirl was eighth by slightly more than 2 3/4 lengths in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on April 18, but should not be criticized too harshly for the loss. She raced at the back of the field in early stretch and closed some ground despite racing in traffic.

The Kingsford Smith Cup has a post time of 1:52 a.m. Eastern on Saturday or 22:52 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

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