Top jockey hoping to make weight for Tshahitsi at Flemington
Premier jockey Brendon McCoull is trying to get down to his lightest riding weight for more than a year to partner in-form Tasmanian sprinter Tshahitsi at Flemington on Saturday.
FLEMINGTON BOUND: Co-trainer Imogen Miller and jockey Brendon McCoull with their trophies after Tshahitsi won the $80,000 Echuca Cup. The horse is due to race at Flemington on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images
Tshahitsi has 55.5 kilograms in the $100,000 Rod Johnson Handicap (1400 metres) and McCoull hasn’t ridden that light since finishing unplaced on Admiral in last year’s Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide.
“I’m down to ride him and I’m certainly making every endeavour to do so,” McCoull said on Wednesday.
“But we’re still able to get someone else if I don’t make it.
“I probably could have had a bit more time (to get my weight down) if I’d known earlier that he’d get 55.5kg.
“But I was under the impression that he’d only get 54.5kg so I didn’t think I was in contention.”
McCoull said that co-trainers Imogen Miller and Chris Crook would probably also accept for the $100,000 Swan Hill Cup (1600m) on Sunday but “it’s a 95 per cent chance that he’ll run at Flemington.
“Imogen’s thinking is that he’s already had one long trip to Echuca and, while he’s a good traveler, it’s probably better if he can travel one hour to the races at Flemington than four or five hours to Swan Hill,” the jockey said.
“The Swan Hill race looks a softer option but the negatives of all the traveling probably outweigh the fact that Flemington is a stronger field.”
Tshahitsi won the $80,000 Echuca Cup 11 days ago at his third start in Victoria.
“Everyone knows he was unlucky the start before at Flemington and he deserved to win a decent race while he was over there,” McCoull said.
“And, it was a good win after being caught wide.
“The track was better where he was – the winner of the last race sat about five wide all the way – but, having said that, it was still a dominant performance.
“You’re always knocking into good horses over there and the horse that ran second, Moss ‘N’ Dale, has excellent form and Tshahitsi beat him running away. He was very strong on the line.”
Tshahitsi has been staying with trainer Glenn Thornton at Geelong.
“Glenn’s setup is similar to what we’ve got at Campania – it’s the same sort of environment,” McCoull said.
“The horses are trained out of the paddock and can go to the beach, so it’s really suitable for him.”
The Flemington track is rated a good 4 but McCoull is not concerned about the conditions.
“He’s a very versatile horse – it can be firm to heavy and he always runs good,” the jockey said.
“A nice surface with a dead track probably suits him best.
“I was hoping he could have drawn a little better, maybe 5 or 6, but barrier 10 is not disastrous.”
Tshahitsi was $8.50 third favourite in Sportsbet’s opening fixed-odds market.