3 minute read

Graeme Green believes winning a home town feature is the dream for every local trainer, and he’s confident Master Jamie can give him the thrill of a lifetime in the Newmarket Handicap at Rockhampton on Friday.

Master Jamie has an excellent strike rate with nine wins from 13 starts at Callaghan Park and gets his chance to fulfill Green 's long held ambition in the 1300-metre feature.

"It's the ambition of every trainer to win their local feature race and it'll be one of my greatest thrills if Master Jamie can do it," Green said.

The 65-year-old has made one previous attempt to win the Newmarket when Master Jamie finished a fading seventh behind the Darryl Hansen-trained Doctor Zous in last year's race.

"He led and was caught up in a speed battle up front last year which brought him undone," Green said.

Master Jamie is a more seasoned sprinter this time, and is coming off the back of a last-start fifth to the Olivia Cairns-trained Last Chance in the Tattersall's Sprint over 1200 metres at Rockhampton on June 25.

"The same thing happened in the Tatt's Sprint when he was taken on in front and he knocked up," Green said.

"But he had 65kgs last time and it was an enormous run.

"He's only got 58kgs tomorrow which is a massive drop of seven kilos.

"I was over the moon with his last run and he's pulled up in terrific order and his work has been very strong.

"He's drawn perfectly in barrier one and with an ounce of luck he'll be hard to beat."

Green was not disappointed with Master Jamie's Brisbane performances when he failed to fire a shot in three Group races - including the Stradbroke Handicap.

"He got poleaxed at the start which put him right out of contention in the Stradbroke when he ran last but the jockey didn't knock him about," he said.

"He doesn't like Doomben when he was beaten in the BRC Sprint and it was a shifty surface that day."

Green has named Last Chance as the main threat to Master Jamie but is confident of turning the tables on the Mackay sprinter.

The $100,000 Newmarket Handicap heralds the start of a big two-day meeting at Rockhampton with the $150,000 Rockhampton Cup on Saturday.