Trainer Carl Jamieson has shed some light on some of the issues which limited Western Terror colt Up The Credit in his freshman campaign

. The veteran conditioner has stated that barring any unforeseen bumps in the road this year, the colt will be "a top contender" during the stakes season.

Up The Credit took a mark of 1:51.4 last season, but was hampered by issues which limited his ability to show the racing world what he is made of.

The colt put in his first charted mile of the season Thursday, March 24 at Mohawk Racetrack (a 1:55.4 victory). According to Jamieson, if the colt had his own way he would've gone a lot quicker. Jamieson's comments came during an interview with the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

"Thursday morning he was perfect," Jamieson said. "He went a big trip there. Jody thought he was a little too aggressive qualifying (and) he could've gone in (1:) 53 with him, and that would've been a really big mile down there. He went (1:) 55.4 with the wraps on.

"His problem last year was that he hurt his knee. He had a little chip in his knee and we had to wait for that to heal. We raced him a few times, but we just couldn't get him back up to his potential after the (life's mark) (1:) 51 mile. I look to him to be my top horse this year. He's paid up to the North America Cup and all the big ones, and he's eligible to the New York Sire Stakes, too."

Jamieson went on to say, "He just acts like he's a champion horse. He acts that way on and off the track and he shows some great speed. I think if nothing happens to him, he will be a top contender this year for sure."

In addition to discussing some of his other young horses, Jamieson discussed four-year-old Cross Of Lorraine, who recorded the first charted line of her aged career during the Thursday qualifying session. The Angus Hall mare was to race in the season-ending Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals last fall at Woodbine Racetrack, but had to miss the lucrative showdown due to injury.

"I guess she kicked a wall, or a fence out in the field, and tore a little bit of a hole in the side of her suspensory in her back leg -- enough that she couldn't race, anyway," Jamieson explained.

"It's all healed a hundred per cent now. Her issues were her knees, and her knees are still rough-looking, but she trots wonderfully and she isn’t lame when she races or anything like that. We were going to sell her and then decided to keep her. Jody (Jamieson) wanted me to keep her, too. I put her in mostly all of the Open races for the mares."