Courtesy The West Australian website:

THE late withdrawal of stayer Thunder Hawk has freed jockey Jason Brown to take the ride on NSW raider Zero Point in Wednesday's $350,000 BMW Perth Cup (3200m) at Ascot.

Zero Point's trainer, Garry White, asked Brown to take the ride last week, when it became apparent WA's premier jockey, Paul Harvey, was getting cold feet about keeping a promise to ride the horse at 52kg - half a kilo above his handicap.

Brown could not immediately give a commitment to White because he was locked into recent Queensland acquisition Thunder Hawk for master trainer Fred Kersley.

But opportunity knocked for Brown when Thunder Hawk disappointed by running seventh in Saturday's ATA Stakes (2200m) and was scratched from the cup.

Brown won the 2000 Perth Cup on Luna Tudor for trainer Neville Parnham, who will saddle revived stayer Moonrise (Patrick Carbery) in the cup.

The 2000-2001 champion rider finished second to Cardinal Colours on Give Me A Chance in the cup last January.

"Zero Point has the advantage of having run over the distance," Brown said yesterday.

"I've seen him at the track and he looks a big strong type and I am sure that run will top him off for the race.

"I couldn't commit to Zero Point when I was first asked to ride him last Monday because of my obligation to Thunder Hawk."

Brown has no problem riding the gelding at 51.5.

Harvey rode Zero Point when he raced too fresh but finished on for a good 10th to Bold Mirage at his WA debut in last Saturday week's Cox Stakes (2400m).

Zero Point is the value bet of White's two runners. He is at $18 on the WA TAB's Sportsbet fixed-odds market. Stablemate and Queensland Cup winner Time Signal is paying $9.

Queensland jockey John Powell was due to fly into Perth last night to keep the ride on Time Signal, who has not raced since winning the Queensland Cup (3200m) on November 23.

White flew Zero Point and Time Signal over from Melbourne three weeks ago to get them acclimatised to Ascot.

"Zero Point has improved heaps on his first run here," White said. "He is the fittest he's ever been and will hold himself in good stead.

"Time Signal's work has been top class and I'm expecting him to be competitive, too."

The master of pace, Dan Miller, has the ride on WA Oaks placegetter Play The Whistle and, with no obvious front-runner in the race, many racegoers think the mare could fill the void.

Kersley said yesterday he was not against the idea of Play The Whistle leading.

Play The Whistle beat star filly Kalatiara in the Natasha Trophy (2200m) two years ago when Miller used catch-me-if-you-can tactics after joining the front-running Damascus Diva from about the 1400m.

"Leaders have a fairly good record in the cup and I wouldn't be disappointed if she was to race at the front," Kersley said.

"I was very encouraged by the way she finished over the last 100m on Saturday when she ran fifth to Mr Tambourineman in the ATA. Her form is better than it looks because the distances she has been racing over were too short."

Play The Whistle emerged as a star staying filly in 2000 with a second to Old Money in the WA Oaks (2400m) and a good eighth in the WATC Derby (2400m), before a race injury dashed hopes of a foray to SA for the Australasian and SA Oaks.

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