The Cindy Alderson-trained Jigsaw not only won a second successive stakes race in taking out the Listed Christmas Stakes at Sandown, but also the first 1100-metre race run over a unique course.

Races over that distance aren’t usually able to be run at Sandown but a temporary winning post erected 80 metres past the standard finish line had jockeys being extra attentive to their timing and Daniel Moor acknowledged the challenge after Jigsaw’s win.

“I just had to make sure he was balanced coming to the turn,” Moor said.

“He was running into that first bend at a rate of knots, which he can do, and he had some company but they brought themselves undone trying to bust him apart.

“About 50 (metres) out he thought the job was done but I asked him for another effort and he was very solid through the line.”

With the Christmas Stakes being the middle race of the Summer Sprint Series, Cindy Alderson is instead looking further afield to the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Sandown over the same distance on February 25.

“He was under siege a long way out and I was surprised how he kept finding and finding and he won by a reasonably comfortable margin in the end,” Cindy said.

“The horse is really at the top of his game at the moment and a fair effort to win three high-quality sprint races in a row.”

Jigsaw’s last outing was with winning the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on November 26, and with the ‘fresh’ approach being the key to the horse, Alderson is uncertain whether Jigsaw will step out again before the $750,000 feature.

“It was always going to be interesting seeing him coming here today as I’d be happier if the Oakleigh Plate was at Caulfield but we came here and had a look and he got the job done today.

“He likes to be fresh, thrives on it, and maybe one more run in January.”

Source: https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/news/australian-racing/jigsaw-wins-a-unique-christmas-stakes/758804