Internationally renowned jockey Robbie Fradd will get his best chance yet to land an elusive first winner in Melbourne when he rides Index Linked in the Mornington Cup.
A Hong Kong premiership winner in 2000-01, the South African-born Fradd rode in Queensland for a year before deciding to relocate to Victoria earlier this month.
He said he had long been keen to test himself in Melbourne and in hindsight wished he had gone straight there from Johannesburg, rather than via Brisbane.
“It will probably take me two months to find my feet and I just need to get that monkey off my back by riding a winner,” Fradd said.
“We’ve just got to ride out these storms when we’re down as it eventually always turns.
“You’ve just got to make it count when you get a chance.”
Fradd’s introduction to Melbourne racing hit a hurdle when he incurred an 11 meeting suspension at Moonee Valley on March 9.
But his hard work since then has paid dividends and after riding trackwork for trainer Chris Waller’s Melbourne foreperson Justine Hales, Fradd gained the Mornington Cup ride on the $5.50 second favourite Index Linked.
The jockey said the opportunity to partner the horse came about because he was in the right spot at the right time.
“A couple of the guys (jockeys) are away in Sydney and I rode one the other day for Chris,” Fradd said.
“I keep in contact with Justine just looking to help out.”
A call to Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior convinced the stable Fradd was the man for the job as Index Linked can be a difficult ride.
Fradd has two other mounts at Mornington including Index Linked’s stablemate Rugged Cross in the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m).
