Some of Australia's hottest jockeys will be clashing with leading locals when the
first day of the smoke-free Adelaide Cup Carnival kicks off on Saturday.
Damien Oliver, Stephen Baster, Greg Childs,
Darren Gauci and Steven Arnold have all taken rides for the return to racing at
Morphettville.
Oliver, who is aiming at being Australia's
leading Group One jockey for the 2001/02 season has a number of good mounts already
confirmed.
He will partner the Ross McDonald trained
Tully Thunder in the Group Three Lakewood Stud Stakes over 1800 metres.
The keen surfer will also throw his leg over
the exciting kiwi three-year-old Our Kazz in the Turfgrass Adelaide Port Adelaide Guineas,
also over 1800 metres.
His remaining stakes race ride, in the listed
Yellow Cab Group Plate for two-year-olds, will be the last start stakes winner Firenza.
He's also set to ride the Tony McEvoy pair of
Secret Haze and Brother's Jest and another confirmed ride is Boy's Talk.
Stephen Baster, who's been in great form since
returning from Hong Kong, has six good mounts as well.
He'll partner the Colin Alderson trained
excitement machine Hillsgrove in the Port Adelaide Guineas as that well bred colt heads
toward the Group One SA Derby.
Baster's other mounts will include the McEvoy
pair of Comedy Court and Chalonnaise, the Ross McDonald trained Tully Law and the Peter
Moody trained Capto in the Lakewood Stud Stakes. If Capto fails to get a run then Baster
is on standby to ride Encosterino for Tony Noonan.
Greg Childs has been booked by Gai Waterhouse
to ride her pair of Solitary Soldier and Allez France in the big Group Three double.
Former leading Adelaide hoop Steven Arnold
will return on a hit-run mission with the Bart Cummings trained Embraceable You, a winner
at Flemington two runs back.
Darren Gauci will be riding most of John
Hawkes' leading chances on Saturday. |
