It’s not often Sydney jockeys are outnumbered in a hometown Group 1, but it will happen in Saturday’s TJ Smith as the country’s best sprinters converge on Randwick.
James McDonald links with Sydney’s sprint queen Joliestar again, but only Josh Parr, Rachel King and Tyler Schiller join him on their regular rides Overpass, Mazu and Briasa.
The visiting hoops include big-race rider Mark Zahra on favourite Tentyris with Ethan Brown and John Allen coming to ride Jimmysstar and Skybird, while Zac Purton flies in from Hong Kong for Giga Kick.
The raiders bring their riders with them for big sprints with The Everest in mind, and as Melbourne trainer Grahame Begg put it with Magic Time, it’s a case with these good sprinters that jockeys want to stay with them.
“Michael Dee is part of the team with Magic Time, and he knows her so well,” Begg said. “These good horses have their riders and there are few coming up from Victoria.”
“The jockeys know the right horse can take them to a $20 million race.”
“If you’re going to take the best, you want as much in your favour as possible, and Michael is an advantage for us.”
Begg has peeked at the forecast for Saturday, and admitted he smiled with race day rain on the cards.
Magic Time is a very good sprinter, but add a wet surface and her $34 quote, in from $51, looks attractive. She has won twice on a Randwick heavy, including an All Aged Stakes, and was photo-finished in the Champions Sprint by Giga Kick on a gloomy, wet day in the spring.
“She is always competitive in this company, but give her a soft track and she is right in the race,” Begg said. “She arrived in Sydney last week and worked with Giga Kick on Tuesday morning. We were all happy with the work.”
“She is in her last season of racing, and we don’t want to waste a run with her.
“We have targeted this race, and she is going much better than her William Reid run. You can just throw the form out the window from that day, and I’m confident that from the good gate she can be in the finish.”
Magic Time got in the wrong part of the track first-up but was still only beaten three lengths, which Begg believes she can make up for on Saturday.
“They are pretty even these sprinters, so a bit of luck can go a long way in these races,” Begg said.
