Star sprinter Jigsaw’s Meteorite title defence is off after a bout of colic, with trainer Cindy Alderson also scrapping his planned trips to Perth and Hong Kong. The eight-year-old has been sent for a break, but Alderson says he could still head back to New Zealand to defend the Group 1 Railway Stakes in January.
Alderson told Racing.com on Sunday that the Cranbourne-trained gelding was taken to a veterinary hospital after the colic attack about a week ago, but did not need surgery.
“He had colic a week or so ago and he ended up at the hospital, but he didn’t have to have surgery, and they got it under control pretty quickly,” she said.
“Even though he was over it when he came back to the stable, there were just a few little concerns. He was a bit quiet, and so it was: ‘Stop, give him a break and come back next year’.”
“There were just a few little indicators that it might have knocked it around a little more than I thought. Hong Kong, Perth all revolved around him not having a hiccup at the time he had it.”
Meteorite and Hong Kong Sprint off
Jigsaw won last year’s $1 million Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne under apprentice Logan Bates, who took him straight to the lead and held off Arkansaw Kid by three-quarters of a length, Racing.com reported at the time. This year’s race is at Cranbourne on Saturday 21 November.
Read more: Jigsaw Adds Six Piece To The Puzzle
He was also among the entries for the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on 13 December, according to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Alderson said last month that Jigsaw had been invited to the race, where Ka Ying Rising is chasing a third win.
A remarkable 12 months
Jigsaw’s rise has been one of racing’s feel-good stories. His winning streak started at Cranbourne in October 2025 and took in the Meteorite, the Railway at Ellerslie in January and the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Caulfield in March, before he won the $5 million Quokka (1200m) in Perth in April for a seventh straight win, Racing.com reported.
He resumed this spring by stretching the run to eight in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield on 10 October, according to Racing.com, before finishing unplaced in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes on Flemington’s straight course.
“We have had an amazing run with him, and this shouldn’t be that significant,” Alderson said. “It was just the timing was a bit unfortunate.
“As his owner put it, last year it was all green lights and this year there are amber lights.
“I was looking for the amber lights last year but they didn’t come and this year I’ve been looking for green and getting ambers.”
Railway Stakes still on the radar
Racing.com reported that Jigsaw has been feeling well since returning to the paddock.
“I am going out to visit him today at the farm and he might even go back to New Zealand for the Railway,” Alderson said.
The Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie in January gave both Alderson and Bates their first Group 1 wins, Racing.com reported.
Read more: Moonee Valley Review: No Puzzle As Jigsaw’s A Star
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