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1 hour ago

Why there will be no Everest for Jigsaw

By Lachie Moir

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Cindy Alderson has revealed Jigsaw is tracking well ahead of his return in Saturday’s Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield, but admits she has doubts about throwing the veteran sprinter into The Everest.

Alderson discussed Jigsaw’s upcoming preparation, with the Group 1 winner set to resume this weekend.

“To be honest with you, his trackwork and trials look to have him back where he needs to be,” Alderson told Gareth Hall on SENTrack & RSN's Giddy Up.

“The only thing that puts me off is that his coat hasn’t come all the way through yet.”

Jigsaw’s form has been remarkable over the past 12 months with seven wins on the trot culminating in the $5 million Quokka at Ascot in April.

But despite that upturn, Alderson revealed the stable has not been approached about a potential Everest berth.

“No one has actually rung me about going to an Everest,” she said.

“We probably wouldn’t have gone to an Everest anyway. I think the reason he has been so successful as of late is because we place him in races where he can be competitive.

“I’d have genuine doubts on him lining up against horses such as Tempted and Ka Ying Rising.”

Jigsaw will resume in the Schillaci over 1100m, with Alderson confident he can be competitive despite admitting he may not be fully tuned for his first-up assignment.

“You’d have to be reasonably confident of his chances, but he probably isn’t as screwed down as he could be,” she said.

“But the way he galloped the other day, he could be a good chance.”

Alderson also provided an insight into Jigsaw’s personality, describing the sprinter as a horse who knows exactly how good he is.

“He’s got swagger, he wants everyone else to recognise it. Even in the mounting yard he stares at everyone like Gunsynd,” she said.

“As soon as he gets to the races, he just becomes the true professional.”

The absence of Moonee Valley has also created a potential change of plans, with Jigsaw’s affinity for turning tracks potentially forcing the stable to consider the straight at Flemington.

“We don’t have Moonee Valley and he definitely loves corners,” Alderson said.

“We might have to go down the straight, which isn’t ideal, but we’ll see how he performs on Saturday.”

As for what comes next, Alderson said the stable will allow Jigsaw to dictate his path rather than locking into a predetermined campaign.

“We might follow a similar path to last year, but he will let us know. That’s the way we train him these days.”

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