Ram Jam in the zone at Belmont

Trainer Darren McAuliffe rated Ram Jam a stayer with future after a Pinjarra maiden in July 2013 and that prediction is playing out in full this year.

Ram Jam (4g Blackfriars – Nurse Betty by Johannesburg) put up a picket-fence with another determined victory in the Westspeed Stayers Hcp (2000m) at Belmont on Saturday.  He is unbeaten in five starts since returning from a 20 week spell with wins at Kalgoorlie (2), Northam and Belmont Park (2).

“He’s a different Blackfriars being a bit finer than most of them,” McAuliffe said this time last year.  “But there’s plenty of staying ability in him.”

Fast-forward twelve months and McAuliffe repeated those sentiments at Belmont.  “He’s happy and while he’s in the zone we will keep going.  He’s not a big horse but can carry weight and has a nice turn of foot.”

Ram Jam is a homebred for Impressive Racing manager Kevin Berry and he will return to the Goldfields for the Boulder Cup – Kalgoorlie Cup double in September.

By Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars, he is the first of just two foals from Nurse Betty whose nearest black-type relative goes way back to 1982 Italian St Leger winner Crusader Castle (The Minstrel).

Her last foal is an unraced 3yo filly named Mambokadzi.  She is by Scenic Lodge sire Universal Ruler and is also on the books with McAuliffe at Ascot.

Karl Patterson