Jigsaw's remarkable journey continues in Schillaci Stakes

Cindy Alderson, a trainer based in Cranbourne, still has to question the reality of Jigsaw's extraordinary winning streak last season.

Seven victories from eight outings, which included two Group 1 events and a win in Perth's The Quokka, made Alderson wonder if it was all a dream.

However, the fact remains, and Jigsaw is set to return to the track this Saturday to compete in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

Jigsaw commenced his incredible sequence of wins at Cranbourne, fittingly on October 10, progressing to a Group 2 triumph at Moonee Valley and then securing The Meteorite at Cranbourne last November.

His travels took him to New Zealand for Group 1 glory at Ellerslie in January before he came back to Australia for two wins at Caulfield, one of which was another Group 1, and finally to Perth for The Quokka in April.

"I can't quite believe it, but it was a lovely place to be," Alderson commented.

"He's brought me a lot of pleasure and everyone in our stable has had a lot of fun out of him, and he's certainly given Logan (Bates) the ride of a lifetime.

"He's a funny little horse. He's always been a little bit quirky, but if he gets his confidence up, which he seems to have at the moment, and he has confidence in the rider, and Logan has confidence in him, I think it's a great partnership."

Alderson was hesitant to name her favourite Jigsaw victory, as each held unique significance.

"Every race was good for different reasons," Alderson stated.

"Winning the Meteorite at home, fighting back to win the William Reid was pretty amazing.

"When he went to the Quokka, he had had a few races and he was over eager.

"He worked really fast on the Tuesday morning, probably too fast, and I thought he was going to be vulnerable.

"To see him overcome a slow start for him, and some rivalry from Tommy Berry's riding, and still hang on and win the race, I thought was a really courageous win.

"For a lot of different reasons, they were all remarkable wins, and that was the beauty and the joy of the campaign."

A recent workout at Caulfield on Tuesday has provided Alderson with the confidence that Jigsaw is performing as well as ever.

Now an eight-year-old, Alderson is eager to assess Jigsaw's performance upon his return to racing, but she has not ruled out further travel.

The Meteorite, contested on her home track, has not been discounted, and even an earlier journey to Perth for the Winterbottom Stakes could be considered.

"I'll take it race by race with him, just as I have in the past," Alderson advised.

"If he comes up as well as we expect, there's options to go back to the Meteorite, even go back to Perth for the Winterbottom.

"He might have to go down the Flemington straight at some stage as a gap filler.

"He's only had two runs down the straight, but I don't think the straight is 100 per cent suitable for him.

"It's still a nice track to race on and being a bit older, he might handle it better now."

As Jigsaw prepares for the Schillaci Stakes, keen observers are checking the latest racing odds to see if the veteran gelding can recapture his best form.

Explore the best betting sites for Australian racing.