Blue Jest a serious chance to continue form at Sunshine Coast

Blue Jest
Blue Jest is a favourite with punters to continue its strong recent form at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday. Picture: Racing.com

THE ultra-consistent Blue Jest will be aiming to secure his 19th career win at the Sunshine Coast when the barriers fly open for race three on Sunday.

Set to exit barrier three over the 1300m trip, Blue Jest will carry 57kg on Saturday after apprentice Michael Murphy claims 1.5kg in the Open Handicap.

The Bevan Johnson-trained six-year-old is expected to run well, coming into the race on the back of a last start win at Yeppoon over 1400m.

“He seems to go good wherever we take him – he is a bit of a country champion,” Johnson told Horse Betting.

“He has always been a very good horse – ever since he started out and I think he is a good each-each way chance this Sunday. We wouldn’t be starting him if we didn’t think he’d race alright.”

A winner of 18 from 46 overall, Blue Jest was never expected to make it to the track as a youngster, with Johnson the third trainer to take in the son of Olympus and Larchwood.

“He was a problem horse – he went through a couple of trainers who couldn’t get him going.

“His owner sent him to me after she’d been told he’d never make it to the race track – he is six years old now and he still plays up a bit.

“He has certainly got his own mind and likes to do things his own way – but that’s just one of his quirks that we have to deal with.”

The bay gelding has made up for his attitude on the track, with prize money earnings now in excess of $167,000.

With big weights in the bush, Johnson is considering taking his charge to town in the not too distant future – with a victory set to be a highlight on his rap sheet.

“We tend to keep him on the Country and Provincial tracks but where we go next will depend how he races on Sunday.

“There aren’t a lot of races coming up in the next few weeks for him – so we might have a look at the Mackay Cup or something like that with him.

“If you go back through his form he has always shown a lot of ability – he won the North Queensland Derby and he has run second and third in Brisbane on Saturday.

“He is getting the way now that he is carrying real big weights in the bush – my daughter is an apprentice jockey and she has been able to claim and has won six races on him – but she is starting to outride her claim now which means his weights are getting bigger.

“Because of that we might even head to town with him if there is a suitable race in the near future.”

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