SUCH can be a jockey’s lot! To use Newcastle’s Blake Spriggs’ own words, he’s been here, there and everywhere in the last week.
After riding at Muswellbrook on Tuesday, the Kensington track on Wednesday, and Hawkesbury on Thursday, Spriggs was one of many participants and racegoers left downcast when he made a wasted trip north last Friday for the Tuncurry Cup meeting, where he had six bookings.
Unfortunately, the program was called off after only one race was run because of concerns with part of the track.
“I had put my colours on and weighed out for my first ride when some of the jockeys who had ridden in the first race came back expressing concern about the track,” Spriggs said on Sunday.
“After an inspection of the track with a number of jockeys and stewards, the track was deemed unsafe to continue racing.
“I wasn’t involved as I hadn’t ridden in the first race, but obviously it was extremely disappointing for all concerned that the remainder of the meeting couldn’t go ahead.”
Spriggs returned home without any reward (jockeys don’t get paid riding fees in those circumstances), then rode work at Newcastle on Saturday morning before heading off again in the car – this time south for a busy schedule at two tracks.
He rode his recent Newcastle winner Shalook, who was unplaced in the Rosehill Gardens opener at 11.50am, then got back in his car and drove to Kembla Grange.
Spriggs initially had four bookings (one was scratched) – and thankfully his busy week ended on a winning note.
He landed the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) at 3.10pm on $6.50 chance This Is The Moment, fittingly, for Kembla Grange trainer Mitch Beer, with whom he is developing a good association.
“I won a race at Nowra on one of Mitch’s horses raced by Patriot Bloodstock before I transferred to Queensland for a while,” Spriggs said.
“As I have been managing my own rides since coming back home to Newcastle, I have kept calling Mitch chasing more opportunities.
“I picked up what turned out to be a winning replacement ride on Zipitalist ($12) for him at Newcastle in mid-July, and he was very happy with the outcome.
“Things have flowed from there, and I went to Kembla for the jumpouts a fortnight ago and also rode work for him last Thursday.
“Mitch has five rides for me at the Kembla meeting on Thursday, so I’ll drive down on Wednesday evening and ride work for him on race morning.
“If he is good enough to keep supporting me, then it’s only fair that I should be helping him out whenever I can.
“Of course I’m still riding work regularly at Newcastle, and the trainers are very supportive of me making these occasional trips to Kembla Grange.”
Spriggs’ victory on This Is The Moment was his fifth of the new season, lifting his career tally to 638, including a memorable five-winner haul at Rosehill Gardens in 2010 as an apprentice and his maiden Group 1 success on Sir John Hawkwood in The Metropolitan at Royal Randwick in 2016.
Newcastle apprentice Ben Osmond’s career continues on an upward spiral.
Osmond won two of the feature races on Sunday at the Bathurst Cup meeting, including the 1800m Cup itself.
He brought Money From The Sky ($8) down the outside in the straight to easily take the $50,000 Cup, and then partnered The Kosciuszko contender Compelling Truth ($2.70 favorite) to his ninth win in the $110,000 The Panorama (1300m Benchmark 85 Handicap).
Money From The Sky’s Wyong trainer Sara Ryan won last year’s $3m The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick with Attractable, and now has a chance to double up as Money From The Sky’s Bathurst triumph made him eligible for this year’s renewal on November 5.
Newcastle trainer Ken Lantry returned to his former stamping ground at Coffs Harbour on Sunday to win the Class 1 Handicap (1400m) withy My Mate Cobber ($4.80).
Story John Curtis, September 15, 2024 - Bradley Photos
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