Our Marvellous Madame

Madame Jamai (4 m Minstrel Court - Palais Jamai, by Grand Lodge) continued her fine form with another win on March 18 at Timaru, in the Rating 75 1200 metres.

Backing up a week after finishing second at Ashburton, the determined chestnut mare won at her only previous course attempt in October and has now registered five victories for owner and breeder Barry & Deirdre Neville-White.

She also provided trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards with their 68th win for the season to keep them atop the premiership by ten.

“She's done a great job to win four times this season and lovely to have another winner for Barry & Deirdre,” said Richards.

“We made a plan to send her south, as she just seems to thrive in the environment down there and Richard Didham has done a top job in looking after her for us.

“It was a nice ride by Doni (Prastiyou) to settle her just off the speed, which was important, and she found a very good kick."

Strongly supported to close a $3.50 & $1.50 favourite on the tote, Madame Jamai was able to assert her superiority a furlong from home and had matters in safekeeping thereafter to score comfortably by half a length.

She returned to scale looking full of beans, having run the 1200 metres in a very respectable 1:10.3 on dead ground.

Although genuine in her racing endeavour, Madame Jamai has generally benefitted with the use of either side winkers or blinkers and had the latter in place on this occasion.

Also aided by the addition of side winkers, her sire Minstrel Court (Danehill Dancer) was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis at the 2007 Magic Millions Sale. Minstrel Court was prepared by Te Akau trainer Mark Walker to win with ridiculous ease on debut as a two-year-old before going on to success in the Listed Matamata Slipper in the same season, and finished third to his stable-mate Tell A Tale (Tale Of The Cat) in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) as a three-year-old. He was a horse with plenty of speed, proved competitive against the finest of his age and performed best on good and dead footing.

Madame Jamai was strapped by Richard Didham.

Winning pic due soon ...