The Craig Martin-trained gelding, a gallant third to Tableaux in last Sunday’s 1400m Tamworth Cup, could be headed to the $140,000 Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) on the second day of the huge Scone Cup Carnival.

“I might keep him over the shorter distances,” Martin said after the five-year-old gelding son of Dream Ballad was beaten a long neck and a nose into third.

“It was my third third in a Tamworth Cup.”

Martin thought his gelding, who has won nine of his 27 starts, was going to hold on and win him his first Tamworth Cup until he shied at around the 200m.

Jefferson Park lost momentum for a few strides and that cost him, as Tableaux and Kaypers drove through to leave him third.

He had jumped from 13 to lead easily.

He was fresh,” Martin said.

“I told Peter to let him go and let him be where he wanted to be. 

“I was hoping he’d switch off but he never did.”

To stick on over 1400m as he did was impressive.

He hadn’t started for six weeks which made it an enormous training feat in itself to have him good enough to produce such a tough run in a big race against some handy horses.

“I’ll freshen him again for Scone,” he said.

He did have the choice of a run in the Friday May 15 Country Cup (1400m) but believes he’d get too much weight in a benchmarked 70 race worth $60,000.

Jefferson Park is benchmarked at 80-plus so the Ortensia Stakes or even an $85,000 benchmark 75 handicap (1100m) on day two might be better for him as Martin ponders where to find suitable races for his gallant gelding.

  Walcha trainer George Woodward won the Diggers Cup at Armidale last Saturday with Grande Zariz and this Monday chases another minor cup race with Minimos at Quirindi.

Woodward nominated Minimos for the $15,000 Willow Tree Cup (1450m), a benchmark 60 handicap that attracted 21 nominations.

Yesterday Minimos received topweight, 60.5kg, but has to come back in distance.

The five-year-old son of Mossman, who has won eight of his 50 starts including an 1800m B50 at Port Macquarie on a Heavy 8 two starts back, is coming off a distant ninth to Leaders Road in last Sunday’s 2100m Mornington Handicap at Tamworth.

Grande Zariz backs up from his Diggers Cup win in the Willow Tree Gravel B50 Handicap (1200m) as well.

While Woodward had success at the Armidale meeting last Saturday, so too did Gunnedah trainer Sally Torrens when Kiss Me Goodbye won the final race on the Anzac  Day meeting. 

She has also nominated Subtract for the Willow Tree Cup and he was allotted second topweight of 59.5kg.

The five-year-old daughter of Al Samer has won six races for Torrens since she bought the mare and won at Tamworth on January 31 last year, her first official runner in a race.

Subtract also finished solidly in last Sunday’s Jardel Cup, beaten a length by Tennavous in the $25,000 fillies and mares 1200m sprint.