The Gary Alexander-trained Querari gelding Kangaroo Jack has been awarded a 113 merit rating by the handicappers after his cosy win of the Gr 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m on the Turffontein Inside track on Saturday, but despite the speed he has shown in his last two starts the yard will not be limiting his program to sprints.

The Alexander yard also have much to look forward to with their three-year-old Admire Main colt Unagi.

Alexander said he had always been of the belief a horse with as much speed as Kangaroo Jack would not stay a true mile, but he revealed stable jockey Andrew Fortune was convinced he would get a mile and he said he had to respect the opinion of such an experienced rider.

The big sprints like the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint would likely be on his program and possibly the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships too.

However, his next race is likely to be the Gr 2 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside Track on October 8.

Mile races like the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile would be considered, although Alexander would prefer to aim him at the Gr 1 weight for age miles like the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes where he would not have to give lumps of weight away.

He said, “Most sprinters just want to jump and go but he drops the bit immediately.”

The ease with which he settles and his relaxed style of running are the chief reasons Fortune believes he will get the mile.

Alexander said Kangaroo Jack was quite small but was supple, well put together and had a nice quarter and was quite muscular, so was more of a “sprinting type” conformation-wise.

Unagi was receiving only 0,5kg from the twice Gr 1-placed Samurai Blade on Saturday in a Graduation Plate over 1600m and yet beat him by 0,2 lengths. Unagi sat in midfield on the rail under Fortune and showed an effortless turn of foot to pass Samurai Blade. He then showed fine resolve when fending off the latter’s rally. Unagi’s merit rating was 90 compared to Samurai Blade’s 104 so he was officially a whopping 15kg under sufferance. The trip was likely too sharp for Samurai Blade, but the rest of the field were 9,3 lengths back, which is another pointer to the merit of the performance.

Alexander said Unagi had never settled after jumping patches when strongly fancied in the Gr 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day. He had then run below par in his reappearance  over 1800m on August 18, but proved on Saturday he is a lot better than that.

The Alexander yard have a fine record in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup, including winning it with “the people’s horse” Pierre Jourdan, a Summerhill Stud-bred who cost just R60,000.

Unagi, a Summerhill-bred who cost R80,000, will be aimed at this year’s R2,5 million renewal, which is to be run at Turffontein over the traditional 1400m trip on November 5.

He is likely to be a big runner there and will then be targeted at next February’s first leg of the SA Triple Crown, the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas.

David Thiselton