Jockey Michael Hellyer has picked up the ride the James Cummings trained Ranier in today’s Group 1 $350,000 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
Jockey Michael Hellyer has picked up the ride on Ranier, above, in the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
Larry Cassidy was booked to ride Ranier but is out of action after twisting his ankle yesterday while running and Hellyer has been called up to wear the famous Godolphion royal blue colours.
Hellyer had been wasting hard to get his weight down to ride first emergency Baccarat Baby at 51kg but when the David Vandyke trained mare failed to gain a start, he was able to answer Cummings’ SOS call.
“Gutted for Baccarat Baby not gaining a start, very proud to have got my weight down to 51.2, but I’m very excited to have picked up the ride on Rainer today in the Stradbroke, hope Larry is back riding in no time,” Hellyer tweeted.
Rainer is one of four runners Cummings will saddle up in the Stradbroke Handicap and is marked at $19 with Ladbrokes.com.au coming off a last start win in the Listed $112,000 Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill a fortnight ago.
The Cummings trained Trekking will carry the topweight of 58kg and is at $8 to score back to back wins in the Stradbroke Handicap but has to overcome a wide barrier and will jump from one from the outside in the eighteen horse field.
Three year old filly Exhilarates had better luck at the barrier draw and will jump from gate three and is marked as a $9 chance while the last of Cummings’ four runners, Kementari, is a $16 chance and will come out of gate seven.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Dawn Passage still holds the spot at the top of the market order at $5.50 despite drawing the extreme outside gate.
Dawn Passage only has to carry 50kg and the Dawn Approach three year old colt will be ridden by James Innes Jnr.
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