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By Ray Hickson

It’s all up to J-Mac – that was the conclusion co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr came to when assessing import Saganti’s prospects of a breakthrough win at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Michael Kent Jnr (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The four-year-old has shown signs of his ability in his work and two local starts and everything the stable can control has gone to plan for the Tom Bingle Handicap (1800m).

What concerns Kent Jnr is the race becoming a tactical affair, like his resumption when narrowly beaten at Hawkesbury on April 9, and that’s where he has to rely on the champion jockey to make the right moves.

“We were always fearful he could get beaten first-up despite being favourite, it was a small tactical race and he did a few things wrong,’’ he said.

“The one query on this race for me is how we ride him. It has the potential to be a tactical affair with a small field, two likely leaders and the rest get back.

“If we go back and we’re last on turning and they’ve controlled up front it’s going to be difficult.

“He’s got the world’s best jockey on board so we’ll leave it to J-Mac.”

A bubble cheeker and a lugging bit have been added to help him “run true” and he has a 1.5kg weight turnaround on State Of America for his narrow Hawkesbury defeat.

Saganti, $3.40 with TAB on Thursday, has won’t since his second race start at Compiegne in France back in August 2023 but has a number of stakes placings and a close Group 1 fourth among his 10 starts.

So there was some expectation at his Australian debut last spring and while he did run well, beaten 1.2 lengths by Fawkner Park, he was immediately gelded and Kent Jnr is confident that will do the trick in the long term.

“He had very good three-year-old form in France and we were very optimistic about his chances in the Rosehill Gold Cup fresh off the plane,’’ he said.

“I was there that day and he was just a real colt, acted up before the race and wasted a lot of energy. While he ran on strong and was only beaten a length we were disappointed knowing how well he was working.

“It wasn’t an instant change (when he was gelded) but he’s really got better through the preparation. He paraded beautifully first-up at Hawkesbury.

“He’s not got a great winning strike rate but I’m hoping we start to see him win.

“He’s doing everything right and we’re looking forward to when he gets to 2000m and beyond up in Brisbane but Saturday is a lovely stepping stone.”

On the subject of imports, Kent Jnr and co-trainer Mick Price are expecting Sakti to step up and show improvement second-up in the Precise Air Handicap (1500m) with a couple of crucial gear changes.

The mare ran sixth in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) on April 1 and he said the stable was caught by surprise as she wanted to overdo it in the run when beaten four lengths by Lekvarte.

“If anything she’s been a bit lazy in trackwork at home,’’ he said.

“She’d always roll forward in her races overseas but what we saw first-up was surprising in that she put her head up in the clouds and her mouth open for a majority of the first part of the race and did a good job to stuck on.

“We’ve reapplied her nose roll, which she wore in Europe, and a cross over nose band in a bid to have her head down and mouth closed.

Saganti runs third at Hawkesbury on April 9

“If she does things right in the first part of the race I think she will run really well.”

A last start win earned Poppin’ Champagne another 12 months of racing and Kent Jnr said there’s no reason she can’t hold her form in the TAB Handicap (1600m).

The mare was due to be sold but connections, buoyed by her easy Warwick Farm win on April 16, elected to take her out of the sale.

“That was a fork in the road for us because she’s had a questionable temperament at times,’’ he said.

“Tommy Berry called me after the win and said she was a kid’s pony so that’s how much her behaviour has changed. She’s in the zone, I think she’s a great each-way chance.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting