LEADING NSW amateur rider Stuart Brown – the tallest licensed jockey in Australia – plans to keep his slender premiership lead intact at the B&W Rural Moree picnic races today.
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The Forbes jockey, all 183cm of him, has ridden 20 winners on the NSW picnic circuit this season – just one ahead of Queanbeyan rival Ricky Blewitt – and says riding at all three legs of the AgVantage Commodities Golden Triangle at Moree, Mallawa and Talmoi is crucial to winning the 2011-12 premiership.
“I’ll be coming back for Mallawa and Talmoi, for sure. With Ricky so close to me in the premiership I can’t afford to have a meeting off,” Brown said.
Brown and Blewitt both have full books today, with Brown relying on the in-form Martin Fernando stable to help him edge ahead on the premiership ladder.
Fernando legs Brown on board tough-as-teak sprinter Mountain Brew in the Chesterfield Australia Bracelet as well as consistent gelding Dandy Kat in the 1400m B&W Rural Boolooroo Cup.
“Dandy Kat is a mile horse coming back in distance but he ran second the last time he went around at Moree and he likes the track – three starts for two seconds – and goes all right,” Brown said.
“We got the bracelet out at Mallawa with Mountain Brew last year.
“The horse is in form and has won two of his past three – he’s going really well.”
Brown, who has been in Moree the past week riding work, also partners Bright Admiral in the 950m Graincorp Maiden Plate for Roley White as well as Fernando’s Kokoda Star in the 1200m Kenway and Clark Maiden Plate, Hejaz in the 1200m Aircair Aviation Class B and Princess Gem in the 950m Sutherland Reid and Farrar Class B.
“I haven’t ridden Hejaz in a race but I did ride him in a gallop the other morning and he went all right,” Brown said.
“Princess Gem is first up but has pretty good form and is drawn well in barrier three.”
Blewitt links up with the Peter Sinclair stable today and rides likely Boolooroo Cup favourite Crystal Club as well as stablemate Are You Kidding in the 950m class B handicap.
Sinclair also saddles General Relativity in the cup, with Irish hoop Paddy Kelly on top.
“The old fellow (General Relativity) is a bit of a dark horse,” Sinclair said.
“He’s going pretty good and I was happy with his run the other day.
“He’ll take a lot of benefit fitness-wise from his run in the Gunnedah Cup and this will be a big drop in class.
“I’m happy with Crystal Club as well and the way she’s going, and her runs this time in have been decent,” he said.
