Shane Oxlade is doing his best to help deliver Lauren Stojakovic a fairytale comeback winner but he admits he’s had little to do with the avalanche of market support that has seen her first ride on Wednesday shorten from $7.50 into $2.40 in a matter of minutes.
Stojakovic created headlines in 2013 when she won the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes on Miracles Of Life but hasn’t ridden in a race since February 2017.
The 42-year-old has ridden trackwork for Oxlade for several years and has been closely associated with his pin-up sprinters Queman and Sghirripa. She made a quiet return to the trials earlier this year.
At Murray Bridge on Wednesday, she makes her return to race riding for the first time in almost a decade with five rides, including four for Oxlade, who trains in partnership with his daughter Cassie.
It’sanotherbattle is the first of them and, if the early betting move is any indication, the homebred filly by Harry Angel will be hard to beat.
Oxlade agrees, although he didn’t get a chance to back her at her opening price.
“She was already into $2.50 when I had a look so I can only assume it’s the big pro punters that watch the trials closely and keep an eye on the markets when they go live,” Oxlade said.
“She’s a nice filly, she’s shown us plenty at home and has trialed well so I think she’ll run really well.”
“But it’s a horse race and it actually looks like a nice little maiden for a 900m race at Murray Bridge so I’m not expecting her just to turn up and win.”
“I probably would’ve preferred to kick her off in a three-year-old maiden but the program is a bit restrictive at the moment so we’re up against some older horses.”
Stojakovic will also ride The Punk Rocker ($12 in R2), Miss Sghirripa ($6.50 in R3) and Estefan ($20 in R5) for the Oxlades, as well as Grinzinger Allee ($17 in R7).
Oxlade said he is keen to support her return to race riding given her work behind the scenes at his Strathalbyn stable.
“She’s just a really good person and obviously a very good rider too,” he said.
“There are track riders and then there are track riders.”
“Lauren has never been someone that just turns up for their $25 a ride and goes home, she genuinely cares about the horses she rides, is invested in the stable and has been a big part of our team for a few years now.”
“It wasn’t really the plan for her to have four rides for us on her first day back but that’s the way it’s worked out with the horses we have in work and I have total confidence in her to do the job.”
