quapi
28th November 2002, 08:24 PM
Holder reunites with Waltz
November 28 - Jason Hickson
Leading South Australian jockey Jason Holder is looking forward to being reunited with classy mare Empress Waltz in Saturday's $40,000 Listed City Of Marion Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
Holder had ridden the David Huxtable trained mare at all four runs this time in - for three wins - before she blitzed her opposition up the straight at Flemington on Cup day.
"It will be good to be back aboard," Holder said. "I had the option of going to Melbourne to ride her but had a lot of commitments here, and decided to stay. She's flying at the moment and it was great to see David take out a race at Flemington with her."
Holder, too, is in form - not only sitting atop the tree of local riders with 23 city wins but he also boasts the best strike-rate of any of the city jockeys - with one winner every five rides.
"Things are going really well and I'm working hard to keep the momentum up," Holder said.
Of Empress Waltz's 12 wins, she has yet to be able to break through at Morphettville, something Holder hopes to change this weekend.
"She has a really good sprint but needs to pace on," Holder said. "She is best when she can get cover so she's drawn well (in barrier four) - I just hope there's so speed in the race to let her come home over the top of them."
According to Huxtable, Empress Waltz has taken her Melbourne trip in her stride and is ready to reproduce another big performance Saturday.
"She had about four days in the paddock after coming back and took it easy for the first week or so," Huxtable said. "I've given her two solid hit-outs to have her ready for this but she seems to love being kept fresh. As long as she's happy she puts in her best."
Saturday's race will give Huxtable a better picture as to what direction to take with the mare in the coming months.
The natural follow on from Saturday's race is the Listed Durbridge Stakes (1300m) at Cheltenham Park on December 14 before the Group 3 Christmas Handicap (1450m) at the same track on Boxing day. On Saturday, January 18 there is also the Listed New Year's Gift (1450m) at Victoria Park.
The other option is to freshen the mare to return in the Group 3 Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on February 1 as a lead-up to the Group 2 Swettenham Stud Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville a fortnight later.
"There's plenty of options around for her over the next couple of months," Huxtable said. "She's done a great job this time in, winning four of five starts, and I don't want to push her too hard. She's such a brilliant sprinter her best efforts have been over shorter distances, but with a good pace on over further I still think she can win a good race. I'm undecided what to do with her at this stage but we'll see how she comes through Saturday's run."
Copied with permission of Thoroughbred Racing South Australia:
http://www.trsa.com.au/
November 28 - Jason Hickson
Leading South Australian jockey Jason Holder is looking forward to being reunited with classy mare Empress Waltz in Saturday's $40,000 Listed City Of Marion Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
Holder had ridden the David Huxtable trained mare at all four runs this time in - for three wins - before she blitzed her opposition up the straight at Flemington on Cup day.
"It will be good to be back aboard," Holder said. "I had the option of going to Melbourne to ride her but had a lot of commitments here, and decided to stay. She's flying at the moment and it was great to see David take out a race at Flemington with her."
Holder, too, is in form - not only sitting atop the tree of local riders with 23 city wins but he also boasts the best strike-rate of any of the city jockeys - with one winner every five rides.
"Things are going really well and I'm working hard to keep the momentum up," Holder said.
Of Empress Waltz's 12 wins, she has yet to be able to break through at Morphettville, something Holder hopes to change this weekend.
"She has a really good sprint but needs to pace on," Holder said. "She is best when she can get cover so she's drawn well (in barrier four) - I just hope there's so speed in the race to let her come home over the top of them."
According to Huxtable, Empress Waltz has taken her Melbourne trip in her stride and is ready to reproduce another big performance Saturday.
"She had about four days in the paddock after coming back and took it easy for the first week or so," Huxtable said. "I've given her two solid hit-outs to have her ready for this but she seems to love being kept fresh. As long as she's happy she puts in her best."
Saturday's race will give Huxtable a better picture as to what direction to take with the mare in the coming months.
The natural follow on from Saturday's race is the Listed Durbridge Stakes (1300m) at Cheltenham Park on December 14 before the Group 3 Christmas Handicap (1450m) at the same track on Boxing day. On Saturday, January 18 there is also the Listed New Year's Gift (1450m) at Victoria Park.
The other option is to freshen the mare to return in the Group 3 Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on February 1 as a lead-up to the Group 2 Swettenham Stud Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville a fortnight later.
"There's plenty of options around for her over the next couple of months," Huxtable said. "She's done a great job this time in, winning four of five starts, and I don't want to push her too hard. She's such a brilliant sprinter her best efforts have been over shorter distances, but with a good pace on over further I still think she can win a good race. I'm undecided what to do with her at this stage but we'll see how she comes through Saturday's run."
Copied with permission of Thoroughbred Racing South Australia:
http://www.trsa.com.au/