Fresh off recording his 20th Group 1 win aboard Skybird in the Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington last Saturday, jockey John Allen will cross the Tasman this weekend to ride a pair of Group contenders at Ellerslie.
It will be first time the 40-year-old hoop has plied his trade in New Zealand, with the trip instigated by OTI Racing’s Terry Henderson, who was keen for Allen to partner his $1.25 million Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) contender Skippers Canyon in Saturday’s Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m).
Trained and initially raced by Opaki horseman Jim Wallace, Skippers Canyon was purchased by OTI Racing following his maiden win at Otaki last month, and he carried their familiar silks to a fourth placed result in the $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) a fortnight later.
“It will be the first time I ride in New Zealand,” Allen said.
“Terry Henderson of OTI contacted me to see if I was interested in going over to ride Skippers Canyon. He said he is heading towards the Derby and thought he would be a live chance.
“I have had a few dealings with him before. It’s obviously Blue Diamond Day in Melbourne but it didn’t look like I was going to be on anything in any of the good races, so I said I would.”
Allen is also booked to ride the Ciaron Maher-trained Interpretation in the Group 3 Avondale Cup (2400m), a horse he has ridden on three occasions in the past.
The Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) runner finished seventh in his sole New Zealand start to date in last month’s Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham, and Allen is confident of a better showing this weekend.
“I have ridden a bit for Ciaron and I was aware he was over there,” Allen said.
“I have ridden the horse once or twice before, so if he can bring his best form he should be a good chance.”
Both of his mounts are destined to compete on Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8, with the Derby Skippers Canyon’s main objective, while Interpretation will contest the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m), and Allen said it would be great to be a part of the action.
“We will just see how Saturday goes first but there are some big races and big prizemoney (on Champions Day), so it would be good to pick up a ride in them,” he said.
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