Kyneton trainer Michael Jones is searching for his first city win as a trainer and is banking on Inglis Digital purchase Maximillius being that success.
Whether it is in the LockettLED.au Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday, or in another start or two, Jones is unsure, but Maximillius has shown his new trainer he is ready to head to the races.
Purchased for $22,500, the former Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained gelding was initially being readied to regain his ‘ticket’ to race again after proving difficult at the barriers.
But Jones said Maximillius was showing good signs in his trackwork and trials and has decided to give the gelding a run in a bid to recoup some of his purchase price.
Jones and his partner Ashleigh have four horses in work and cannot afford to buy the nice yearlings, or the well-credentialled horses, and thought Maximillius would go for more money.
“Mick Kent Jnr said when I spoke to him that he was worthwhile having a go with,” Jones said.
“We thought he would go for a lot more money than that. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong.
“There does not seem anything lingering after his fall in the Australian Guineas, and he did win first-up at Moonee Valley after that fall, so, we were happy to get him.
“We’ve only got four in work and that fluctuates between two and six and I work fulltime as well.
“With my partner Ashleigh, we do it all ourselves. We both do the horses in the morning, and she does them in the afternoon, so there are some pretty long days.
“We have our own arena and pool and we’re trying to tick over with a few nice horses.”
Jones’ fulltime employment is something well away from racing, running a Lego exhibitions business.
He has only been training four or five years and said the team was starting to run well.
“The brain switches over pretty quickly when I switch over from the horses,” Jones said.
“We do corporate exhibitions and have them running in six different countries. We’ve got two versions of the Jurassic, the dinosaurs, running in different parts of the world at the moment.”
Jones said Maximillius was likely to have only one or two more starts after Saturday before a break and potentially returning at the backend of the spring carnival.
“I think it might be a little short for him on Saturday, and they might be a little slick,” Jones said.
“I think second-up over 1200 or 1400 metres might be better, but in saying that he has trialled well and is going quite well.
“Hopefully he’ll travel nicely, hit the line, and then we can aim up at something.”