Jemeldi on track for winning return at Beaudesert

By Glenn Davis

Co-trainer Tom Button is confident the real Jemeldi can bounce back from an indifferent summer campaign when the three-year-old makes a low-key return in a Class 2 Plate at Beaudesert on Tuesday.

Button, who trains in partnership with Ryan Tyrell, has no lofty goals in place with the son of Winning Rupert for the Queensland Racing Carnival.

“I haven’t any plans with him just yet and I’m just going to start him on Tuesday so he can hopefully get some confidence back,” Button said.

“Things never went right for him last preparation and he had some average rides.

“He’s coming along well now after he missed out making the Magic Millions Guineas and he’s won two barrier trials since he came back into work.”

Button was hoping to land Jemeldi in the Magic Millions Guineas earlier this year but he missed qualifying when he beat one runner home in a Three-Year-Old race over 1200 metres at the Gold Coast a week before the $2 million feature.

“Nothing went right with him last campaign and he went too hard early in that Gold Coast race he needed to win to qualify for the Guineas,” he said.

“We were thinking of sending him to Melbourne when he resumed last time but we changed our minds and decided to stay at home.”

Jemeldi gave Button his first Sydney runner when he finished a close third to Promitto in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes on a heavy Randwick track in February last year.

However, Button pulled the pin on a Golden Slipper start, preferring to return home for last year’s winter carnival in Brisbane.

Jemeldi finished seventh in the Listed Dalrello Stakes and sixth in the Group 2 Champagne Classic, both at Eagle Farm, in his only two winter appearances, before he was aimed for the Magic Millions Guineas.

“He didn’t seem to like Eagle Farm for some reason but he likes to get his foot into the ground so I’d like to see a bit of rain for Tuesday,” Button said.

“There’s some rain predicted so hopefully it’ll come.”

Jemeldi will be ridden by rookie apprentice Gabrielle Semmens on Tuesday, who is having only her ninth race ride.

“Gabby has been with me for a couple of years and has ridden two winners at Emerald already,” Button said.

“She claims four kilos at the moment but she’ll only get to ride him at 56 on Tuesday.

“He’ll be hard to beat with Gabby’s claim in a Class 2 Plate and I’ll let the horse tell me what level he can get too later on.”