*Article by Edward Saddler for racing.com
For emerging trainer Brian McGrath, D'jumbuck will always be a special horse.
The five-year-old gelding provided McGrath with his first win at Flemington back in January, before repeating the dose at the famous course on Black Caviar Lightning Day, and the Cranbourne-based trainer believes that he still has more to offer on the track.
"He's winning races on the big day, on Saturdays, it just gives you that relevance on the big days that everyone seems to be watching," McGrath said.
"It's able to put the stable, and my name, up in lights, which is great. He looks like he's improving, I hope he's got more to give.
"Hopefully, there's a few more good days to come. He gives you that confidence when you're competing against those better horses, it's been brilliant."
One of those good days could be this Saturday at Ladbrokes Park Sandown Lakeside, where D'jumbuck has accepted to run in the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Sprint over 1200m.
The son of Starspangledbanner heads into the race on the back of a close-up fourth placing in the Listed ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap over the slightly shorter distance of 1000m.
"I think he's got a nice chance," McGrath said.
"He seems to like Sandown; he's run some really good races there. 1200m should be perfect.
"I thought last time, he ran really, really well in the Hoysted, they just seemed a little bit sharp for him, but he stuck to his guns and I thought he ran a really nice race to be beaten only a length."