Graeme Green to turn back the clock

By Tony McMahon

Rockhampton trainer Graeme Green is confident that he can turn the clock back three years and win another 2YO Breeder’s Plate at the Rockhampton Jockey Club’s nine-race TAB card at Callaghan Park on Friday.

The Green stable won the 2018 edition of the colts and geldings Breeders Plate with Master Jamie on November 9, 2018 which was the first of the grand sprinter’s 14 wins.

Ironically, Master Jamie makes his return to racing on the same card on Friday in the 1050-metre Open Handicap.

Bright And Ready, a $40,000 purchase at this year’s March Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale will contest the Breeders Plate for fillies under in-form Chris Whiteley.

At her first Callaghan Park trial in early October, Bright And Ready finished just three lengths astern of boom filly Heroic Angel which went on to win the Pallarenda Stakes in Townsville.

“I think she will be very hard to beat in the Breeders,” Green said.

When she won her second trial here at Callaghan Park she did it very easily and the jockey didn’t do much on her.”

He was referring to Bright and Easy winning the 900 metres trial on October 18 by four-and-a-half lengths in 56.33 seconds, a time she would have bettered if fully pushed out.

Bright And Ready has subsequently trained on well and Green believes she has improved further.

The six-horse field includes two other Callaghan Park trial winners – Fred Smith’s Sooboog filly Pinocchio Lass and Jason Morgan’s Power female Power Load.

South African born jockey Robbie Fraad rides Power Load and has other strong winning prospects with Fashion Guru, Twostone Lighter, Taraki and Matador.

The popular and talented Fraad is a very infrequent visitor to Callaghan Park and his presence has already created tremendous interest.

Robbie moved to Queensland’s Gold Coast in 2014 and has figured prominely on the jockeys list ever since and last season annexed 106 wins.

His international career includes winning the Hong Kong jockeys premiership in the 2000/01 season with his riding exploits taking him from his homeland to Japan, Dubai, Singapore and finally Australia.

Trainer Graeme Green believes the biggest handicap to enigmatic sprinter Master Jamie chances in the 1050-metre Open is the handicap itself being 66.5kg.

“He will come in with 63.5kg under Dan McGillivray’s claim; It will be a good fitness test for him and tell us where we are at,” Green said.

“He has a long road ahead leading to the Summer Series Sprints in Brisbane later in the year.”

An owner and trainer’s dream, Master Jamie cost just $10,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions March Sale and has won $611,000 in stakes – unprecedented for a horse entirely trained from Callaghan Park.

Among Master Jamie’s four rivals is stablemate Taraki.

Dan McGillivray will also ride the Green stable’s Ahooshu in the QTIS 3YO later during the card.