Richest race attracts top international jockeys

26 February 2009
For immediate use

Richest race attracts top international jockeys

The prestigious Auckland Cup Week is set to have a truly international flavour with a number of international jockeys flying in to try and take the spoils.

At New Zealand’s richest thoroughbred race – the $2.2m Telecom New Zealand Derby – at 5.22pm on Saturday (28 February) at Ellerslie, there will be three top-class Australian jockeys riding.

Scott Seamer (Coniston Bluebird), Steven Arnold (Easy Ryder) and Danny Brereton (Court Ruler) will all be aiming to take out the richest prize in New Zealand racing.

Easy Ryder is currently third favourite with the New Zealand TAB to win the race, paying Fixed Odds of $7, followed by Coniston Bluebird as fourth favourite on $8.50 while Court Ruler is an outsider, paying $41. The current joint favourites are Down the Road and Jungle Boots, paying Fixed Odds of $6.50.

Seamer, best know to New Zealanders for his exploits on Ethereal when winning the Melbourne Cup in 2001, has been a regular visitor to New Zealand and won the 2006 Group 1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham on Gee I Jane. His ride on Saturday, the Australian Coniston Bluebird, will give Scott a great chance of capturing New Zealand’s richest race.

Steven Arnold, will ride Waikato Guineas winner Easy Ryder, who this week was sold to Australian interests. He will still race in the Derby under his current trainers Roger James and Paul Mirabelli but, in future, he will race from the David Hayes stable in Melbourne. Arnold rode Scenic Blast to Group 1 glory in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington in January, in which Weekend Hussler and Apache Cat were among the beaten brigade on the day.

Danny Brereton, fresh from a close up second in last Saturday’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Lucky Secret, will ride the John Wheeler trained Court Ruler.

Michael Rodd is the Auckland Racing Club’s guest for Wednesday’s Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie. Rodd recently won the Karaka Million at Ellerslie on 25 January, topping off a long list of successes over the past 15 months including the 2007 Melbourne Cup on New Zealand-bred Efficient and the 2008 Cox Plate on the son of Zabeel, Maldivian. Rides on the day are still being confirmed.

Former New Zealand jockey Mark Du Plessis, currently riding in Hong King, is also riding on Auckland Cup Day on Wednesday and will be out to repeat an Auckland Cup victory after winning on Prize Lady in 2007.

Six O'Clock News is currently favourite with the New Zealand TAB to win the $1m Stella Artois Auckland Cup, paying Fixed Odds of $4.50. Prize Lady is third favourite to win her third Auckland Cup in a row, paying Fixed Odds of $8.00.

For the latest odds visit www.tab.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media