Jimmystar Chases Glory as William Reid Stakes Leaves Moonee Valley

Moonee Valley's renovation handed Jimmysstar something the Ciaron Maher stable wasn't about to complain about: a Group 1 sprint at his favourite racecourse. The Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes, run over 1200 metres at Caulfield on Saturday, marked the first time the race had left Moonee Valley in three decades, and the six-year-old Per Incanto gelding arrived with a Caulfield record that read five wins from six starts.

Those numbers tell the story. Among those victories were Group 1 wins in the Oakleigh Plate at 1100 metres and the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at 1400 metres, bracketing the William Reid distance on either side. He also won two lead-up trials in preparation for his return, leaving assistant trainer Jack Turnbull with little to worry about heading into race day.

"The William Reid is here at Caulfield, which is his favourite track," Turnbull said. "He's had a faultless prep and his trials are obviously there to be seen. It would be nice to think he's come back better, he doesn't need to, but he tries, he's very competitive and he's clearly a very good horse."

Mark Zahra was in the saddle, and the booking carried its own storyline. The Group 1-winning jockey had endured a wretched start to 2026, missing six weeks through injury and watching multiple Group 1 winners go to other riders, then compounding the misfortune with careless riding suspensions on his return. Climbing aboard the race favourite at Caulfield represented a genuine opportunity to reset.

The nominations field for the $1 million sprint was deep enough to test any market leader. Jigsaw came in fresh off the back-up, while Tropicus entered with sprint credentials of his own. Also among those resuming were Airman, Charm Stone, Magic Night and Rey Magnerio, alongside Ameena, who had been scratched from the previous weekend's Mystic Journey Stakes. Star Sirius brought strong recent form after flying late to win at his last start, and Suntora was described as being in flying form. Terrilee, long considered capable of stakes-level racing, also featured in the mix, as did Chase Your Dreams, who had underperformed fresh previously but was expected to improve sharply. The wildcard in the race, Strictly Business, held dual nominations for both the William Reid and the longer Sunline Stakes, leaving connections with a decision that would shape the final field.

The broader Caulfield card on March 21 carried ten races, with the Group 3 Don Casboult Classic over 1200 metres drawing nominations from three unbeaten fillies in Educated, Magnabelle Royale and Andrew Gluyas' Bassett Babe. The Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes at 2000 metres added another layer of interest, with VRC Oaks winner Strictly Business a possible runner and Matt Cumani potentially saddling three, including Autumn Classic winner Single Choice and VRC Derby placegetter Deal Done Fast.

For Jimmysstar, the venue change that inconvenienced the race's history suited him perfectly. Five wins from six attempts at Caulfield is not a coincidence; it is a pattern. The William Reid, wherever it is run, was always going to lead back to him.