Central Queensland owners descend on Royal Randwick with Jemeldi

By Jordan Gerrans

Tom Button is one of the few trainers in Queensland who can regularly prepare a galloper up and down the coast between Cairns and Aquis Park.

This Saturday afternoon, the Sunshine Coast-based horseman will add another location to his training resume – Royal Randwick in Sydney.

The former Rockhampton-based trainer will have a “throw at the stumps” with unbeaten youngster Jemeldi in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes on Saturday afternoon over 1200 metres.

The Winning Rupert gelding has progressed from Sunday provincial grade at Caloundra to a metropolitan Saturday and will now tackle a much higher level of two-year-old colts and geldings.

It was before Jemeldi’s second career win – at Doomben earlier this month – where Button and his big group of owners considered heading south of the border with the exciting juvenile.

Ridden by Tiffani Brooker, Jemeldi was challenged in the straight in his metropolitan debut and showed plenty of grit to power away and score by over two lengths.

“It is always hard to tell if they are up to the level above he has been racing, he has won his first two starts well,” Button said.

“Before his last start, I said to a couple of the owners if he wins well on this occasion then we would have a throw at the stumps in the Skyline, which was three weeks away at the time.

“Timing wise it worked out and he won a soft track so the wet track down here is not a real worry. We thought we would have a go.”

While the Button-trained galloper is unproven in Sydney at the level, the TAB has Jemeldi an $8.50 chance as of Thursday afternoon with hoop Jason Collett booked for the ride.

“It is a pretty even race and the horse, he is a little race horse, in both starts he has had a tough run and when challenged at the furlong, he found another gear,” Button said.

“It will be interesting to see where the bottom of him is as I am not sure we have found it yet.

“It is pretty exciting and I hope he is up to them.”

A former champion apprentice and five-time winner of the Rockhampton trainer’s premiership, Button has never even been to the races at Randwick before this coming Saturday, let alone have a starter on the big stage.

Much of Jemeldi’s ownership group hail from Central Queensland while there is also FNQ representation, with the Piccone family from Cairns also in the exciting gelding.

Upwards of 15 from the group of connections are expected to descend on Randwick from the beef capital of Australia to watch Jemeldi, a $50,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy, go around.

“It will be exciting to have a horse in the race, it is where you want to be as a trainer,” Button said.

“It is exciting for me and all the owners.”

Button opened up a new Townsville satellite stable last year, which is being run by former Brisbane trainer Brad Herne, who had a long association with Eagle Farm’s Barry Baldwin.

“It took a few months to get up and going but it is working out really good,” he said.

“We have got to keep the horses rolling through to win their races.

“I feel like I am the only person that can win races from Cairns to the Gold Coast (laughs), it is a pretty handy thing to do.”

Button is not the only Sunshine State trainer chasing interstate Group riches this weekend as premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has Jonker in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate while Rob Heathcote has Startantes in the Surround Stakes in Sydney.

Collett will also ride Startantes.