Racing" Franco Jamar to step up

Franco Jamar, who has won seven of his last eight starts, is to be given his chance in major races for 3yr-olds.

"I now feel confident he will measure up against the top 3yr-olds," Steve Dolan, his Loburn trainer, said.

Franco Jamar won easily over a mile in 1.56.6 at Ashburton on Sunday.

Craig Thornley told Dolan that Franco Jamar was capable of going two seconds faster.

"He [Franco Jamar] has matured and I have him spot on," Dolan said.

"I have got him in light aluminium shoes and this seems to have solved a problem he had with bruising his feet."

Dolan said he would like to give Franco Jamar another race before the group two Flying Stakes at Addington on March 26.

The New Zealand Derby is a fortnight later.

"It could mean racing him out of his class a week before the Flying Stakes."

The Courage Under Fire gelding has won seven races but he is assessed as a two-win horse for handicap purposes.

Sign Him Up is back with Dolan.

The Life Sign gelding won fresh up for Westwood Beach trainers Graeme Anderson and Amber Hoffman at Wyndham in January.

Sign Him Up had earlier wins for Dolan and Barrie Gibson-Smith.

Trainer Tony Stratford will drive Flying Diamonds in race 10 at Winton today.

The 3yr-old has been placed in four starts since he won at Roxburgh in January.

Comebachmach has been scratched at Winton today due to a blood disorder.

He has not raced since he won at Winton on December 29.

Paul Court, his co-trainer, said it had been confirmed that the hopples of Terror To Love had stretched.

Terror To Love tangled twice in the closing stages of the Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham on Saturday when beaten a long neck by Le Sol.

"We measured his hopples against the pair he used to wear and they have stretched by an inch.

"It must have been the heat on the day," Court said.

• Captain Peacock, a scratching from the race for junior drivers today, has been entered for the Cheviot meeting at Addington on Sunday.

The Dean Taylor-trained Captain Peacock has won the last three of his five starts.

• Gareth Rattray, of Tasmania, won the first heat of the Australasian Young Drivers Championship at Menangle yesterday.

He drove Setting The Trend to win by a head from Our Mach Be Nimble (Dexter Dunn) in 1.55.5 for the mile.

• Monkey King has retained favouritism with the New Zealand TAB for the Interdominion Final at Menangle on Sunday after drawing five.

Monkey King is at $2.50, ahead of Blacks A Fake at $3.50