J-Mac column: I want to end carnival on a high

It’s been some week but there’s still another day to go and I’ve got some important rides and it would be great to end the week on a high.

It’s not even just about Nature Strip and Zaaki.

There are other horses I’ll ride on Saturday and for the owners of those horses, Saturday is going to be like a Melbourne Cup for them.

It means a lot to people to be a part of this carnival and it’s something I don’t take for granted.

I’d love to give all those owners a similar thrill to what I experienced on Tuesday.

The routine going into Saturday is the same. Tuesday’s behind me now and after Saturday I’m having a few days away so that’s when I’ll reflect.

Right now, I’m focused on leaving no stone unturned to give me a few more highlights to reflect on.

Personally, I’m trying to get to 10 winners for the week, that’s the goal.

I saw Nature Strip on Wednesday and he looks amazing.

He looks to have held his condition out of The Everest, he’ll also love the edge off the ground and he’s the one they have to beat.

It looks like his race to lose to be fair.

A horse race is a horse race, and you never know.

People might say this is the easiest race he’s run in this spring, but I won’t be going out there with that attitude.

We have to go out and execute and give him the chance to show everyone what he is capable of.

If I execute my job, it allows Nature Strip to do what he does best and if we both get our jobs right, then clearly, he’s going to be hard to beat.

We are talking about an Everest winner that appears to have held his form since he won the big one a few weeks ago.

I got a video from Charlie Duckworth of Nature Strip working the other morning and his track rider said he couldn’t believe how well the horse is. He knows him better than most so that’s good enough for me.

I’ve had a bit to do with Zaaki this week and putting it all into the melting pot I’m happy with him.

I’ve galloped him twice and he is swapping and changing his legs when he works.

I can’t put my finger on why he’s doing it because he feels fantastic.

Maybe it’s just him having a look around and not concentrating properly but what I’m feeling under me is what I’ve felt from him in the past when everything was going great.

There’s a fair bit of depth in Saturday’s race.

Mo’unga’s there, Colette’s flying, Hungry Heart was good in the Empire Rose, Superstorm and Cascadian were great in the Cantala and Dalasan is never far away.

It is a proper race.

There are obviously some question marks hanging over Zaaki.

His last run and the temperature spike on Cox Plate day but if he does bring his A-form he’s the horse to beat.

A month between runs, he looks and feels great and his last piece of work was nice.

I’m expecting him to love racing at the big track at Flemington, especially being able to get his toe into the ground and provided he’s taken no ill effects from his temperature spike, he’s in it up to his ears.

Apart from the big two, the horse I’m looking forward to riding on Saturday is a horse called Sinawann.

He’s an import with Anthony and Sam Freedman and has form references around the Cox Plate winner State Of Rest and a horse that recently joined the Annabel Neasham stable they hold in high regard called Fourhometwo.

Originally published as James McDonald column: Ten winners for the Flemington carnival in the goal