Gin Martini set to relish distance rise in The Roses

Despite the weather putting The Roses on hold, Robbie Dolan will still be aboard Gin Martini when the race is run at Eagle Farm this weekend.

The flashy three-year-old chestnut filly ran a game fourth in the Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 7, after which Dolan said that she just found the others gallopers a bit sharp over the shorter distance.

The John Sargent-trained daughter of Rip Van Winkle is set to relish the rise to 2100m on Saturday when she lines up in the $250,000 Group 2 event, with Dolan expecting to see a “different horse”.

“Obviously 1800m is short of her best trip,” the Irishmen told HorseBetting.

“She just stepped away a little bit slow from the gate and it was always going to be four wide or press forward and sit outside the leader, which I did.

“She gave a really good kick around the bend, and the other horses probably quickened a little bit too good for her the last furlong. She was solid all the way to the line.

“Once she gets over the Oaks trip, you’ll see a different horse again.”

Gold Coast Bracelet replay | May 7, 2022 | Gin Martini (4th)

Originally set to be run over 2000m, the abandonment of last weekend’s Doomben meeting and the subsequent transfer to Eagle Farm means that The Roses will now be run over 2100m, which suits the Australian Oaks-placed filly even more.

“It probably suits her even more,” Dolan continued.

“I’m looking forward to getting up there now and having a crack.”

Gin Martini put the writing on the wall two starts ago when third behind El Patroness and Gypsy Goddess in the Group 1 ATC Oaks, where she ran a very cheeky race out in front.

Despite his horse going into the event as a $91 outsider, Dolan said that he approached the $1 million race with a bit of confidence.

Gin Martini had finished ninth in the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in her previous run, but her jockey insists that effort was better than it looks on paper.

“I thought she could run a really good race, because her race previously in Newcastle (Vinery Stud Stakes) where she finished down the field, she just stepped away a bit slow as well and went down towards the inside of the track where you didn’t want to be,” he said.

“To be honest, nothing really went to plan that day and I just thought if I was able to get her into the position I wanted her to be in, she would’ve ran a lot closer and she wouldn’t have been the price she was in the Oaks.

“I was confident that if she could get away clean, that she’d run a cheeky race – which she did.”

Australian Oaks replay | April 9, 2022 | Gin Martini (3rd)

Although The Roses is the next task for the $196,000-earner, Dolan said that her race is seven days later, when she lines up in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).

The jockey believes that the “consistent” runner will get conditions to suit in the fillies’ classic, and he looks forward to keeping the partnership.

“I’ll be sticking with her for that; she handles a wet track, she loves the trip and she’s very consistent,” the jockey said.

“She doesn’t win very often, but she rarely runs a bad race, so that’s all you can ask for in these sort of horses.”

It has been a big couple of months for the popular young jockey, and he plans for bigger and better things in the near future.

Having recently starred on Australian reality TV show ‘The Voice’, Dolan said that he has some “exciting” things coming soon, but what they are remain hush-hush.

“It’s been pretty fun, doing a couple of gigs here and there,” he said.

“I have some exciting stuff coming soon, so I’ll have to leave the imagination to think it out what’s going to come soon, but it should be a lot of fun.”

Dolan also hopes to pick up some more rides over the Brisbane Winter Carnival, especially in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Given the handicap conditions of the race, Dolan, who can ride as low as 50kg, will no doubt be highly sought after in the build up to the $1.5 million event.

“The Stradbroke is coming up in a couple of weeks, so we’ll be looking for a ride in that – I can ride bottom weight – I can ride 50kg, 51kg probably.”

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