THE FURTHER THE BETTER FOR JEWEL FLIGHT

By Graham Potter | Sunday, July 17, 2022

Jewel Flight might have taken seven runs to shed her maiden ticket, but there was no delay in posting her second win when she made it back-to-back successes when saluting in a BM58 contest over 3120m at Grafton on July 17.

This win solidified the solid progression that the lightly raced four-year-old mare has made since resuming back in May after a five-and-a-half month layoff from race action.

In her four runs since then, leading into her Grafton assignment, Jewel Flight had finished eighth first-up over 1400m, then fourth over 1650m, then second over 1800m before coming back a winner over 2500m.

Clearly the step up in distance was what she was looking for each time and the fact that she coped with everything from good to soft to heavy going along the way was another plus to come out of those progressive performances.

From her run prior to that first success to her Maiden win, Jewel Flight had moved up no less than 700m in distance … and she quietly added another 620m to the trip at Grafton.

Jewel Flight did jump as favourite, but only at a lukewarm price of $4.20. She landed in the lading line, was caught wide early, but then settled into a comfortable third spot just two lengths off the lead.

Jewel Flight was already up to second when the field took the home turn for the first time and Jag Guthmann-Chester was content to hold that position on Jewel Flight all the way down the back stretch.

In the middle of the final sweep to the home turn though, Guthmann-Chester gave Jewel Flight the green light to go, and she quickly put paid to the long-time leader Dunoon (who would drop away to finish last) and she was striding out with such authority that she quickly opened up a three-length lead on straightening.

And that, as they say, was that.

From that position Jewel Flight was never going to let anyone else into the race and she arguably won a little more easily than the official 1.75 length margin suggests.

While the overall quality of the field might be questionable, this was still a big win for a horse whose form is clearly on an upward trajectory.

Her overall record now stands at two wins and four minor places from eight starts.

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