Master Jamie set to smash $1 million barrier in Cleveland Bay

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Graeme Green remains confident Master Jamie can smash the $1 million prize money barrier despite a wide draw for the Cleveland Bay Handicap at Townsville on Saturday.

Master Jamie is chasing his second win in the 1300 metre feature, which is regarded as the 'Stradbroke of the North'.

The seven-year-old has drawn barrier 13 in the field of 16 and will only come in one place if the emergencies fail to gain a start.

Master Jamie won the Cleveland Bay two years ago and is closing in on $1 million in prize money with $945,525 collected so far from 18 wins and 20 placings in 54 starts.

He will collect $57,000 if successful on Saturday, plus a QTIS bonus.

Green has been on the ride of his life since buying the son of Poet’s Voice for a paltry $10,000 at the Magic Millions yearling sales at the Gold Coast.

Master Jamie is coming off an all-the-way win in the Rockhampton Cup over 1600 metres at Callaghan Park on July 8.

Green contemplated giving Master Jamie his first start over 2000 metres in the Townsville Cup before reverting to the Cleveland Bay Handicap.

“I was keen to run him in the Townsville Cup but I haven’t really trained him this campaign to run 2000 metres so we decided to go again for the Cleveland Bay,” Green said.

“I definitely think he’ll get 2000 metres so maybe he’ll go for the Townsville Cup next year.

“They all said he wouldn’t run 1600 metres and he has proven them wrong.”

Master Jamie finished an unlucky eighth in last year’s Cleveland Bay, which was won by the Lindsay Gough-trained Wren’s Day.

“He was taken out of the race last year when a horse dropped back into his lap,” Green said.

“He was virtually stopped in his tracks at the 400 metre mark and dropped back five lengths and had to come again.

“Once he got into the clear he flew home at only got beaten just over two lengths.”

Green is not concerned Master Jamie will carry top weight with 61 kilograms.

“He’s cherry ripe for this race and he’s used to carrying big weights and has won with a lot more in the past,” he said.

“He’ll come in a place if the emergencies don’t get a start but there’s a lot of horses on the minimum to annoy him and plenty of speed in the race.

“He likes big weights for some reason as every time he runs with a light weight in big Group races and races like the Stradbroke he hasn’t performed. He’s just a freak of nature.”