"He looks better than he’s ever looked in his whole life."
Jigsaw won the $1 million Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne on Saturday, making it three wins straight for the sprinter.
This unbelievable form has seemingly come out of nowhere, as the gelding hadn’t won a race since April of 2023.
The Meteorite winner’s trainer Cindy Alderson also sent the horse for a 45-week spell during that winless streak.
Since returning, Jigsaw is three wins from four starts this preparation and Alderson has attributed the seven-year-old’s explosion in form to him regaining his confidence after a period of mental uncertainty from the horse.
“He was somewhat in the wilderness,” Alderson admitted on RSN’s Correct Weight.
“He’s always been a confidence horse, once things are going his way, he’s happy and that’s demonstrated by the fact that he loves to get out in front.
“He got a little bit pressured – he got into a couple of Group 1s where the pressure was next level and it really knocked him around in terms of his confidence.
“And then he was obviously carrying a weight penalty as well because he had that great preparation where he won five or so races (in late 2022, early 2023) – that put him at the top of the scale.
“I think he just battled a bit at that point and races didn’t pan out for him. Maybe he had a spell where he wasn’t at the same level of peak performance as he is now.
“He just looks amazing now, he looks better than he’s ever looked in his whole life.
“When you put all those factors together, and the good spell that he had in the paddock, and Logan (Bates) getting on so well with him, and you’ve still got a horse that’s sound and wanting to race, that’s what the result is.”
When asked if her horse will race in the $1 million Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham on December 13, Alderson revealed that it’s not her decision to make – it’s Jigsaw’s.
“That’s not a decision I’m gonna make,” Alderson said.
“We’ve come into this preparation just taking it race by race, not really expecting a seven-year-old gelding who has gone two years with not winning a race to be going three on the bounce.
“So, I’ll just let it play out and let him tell me.
“That’s pretty much how I’ve trained him all this preparation and I don’t see any reason to change that.
“I don’t think it’s likely at this stage, I don’t know that he won’t run the 1400m, but I think he’s done a good enough job to even get to this stage at his age, and I don’t know that we need to push him any harder.
Instead, Jigsaw may head across the Tasman to compete in the $700,000 Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m) in New Zealand.
“There is an overture from the Auckland Racing Club for him to go over to the Railway on January 24,” Alderson revealed.
“That’s a Group 1, so it’s something I’ve had put up for me about 10 days ago and it’s something I will consider.
“It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he could venture over there.
“When you’re in this sort of form you have to keep taking these opportunities when they present himself.”
If Jigsaw travels to New Zealand, he may be able to win his first ever Group 1.
