Geelong trainer Heath Conners is optimistic his apprentice Talia Rodder will beat a handling charge ahead of her engagement on stable speedster Centexpress at Sandown.
Rodder, 27, will front an adjourned inquiry on Thursday after stewards charged her with failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure the Robbie Laing-trained Serene Tanie had full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible place in Saturday’s Corporate Interiors Handicap (1500m) at Moonee Valley.
Serene Tanie led at a speed the stewards deemed too fast and faded to finish second last to stablemate Maquina who came from second last to win.
Conners said he was confident the handling charge could not be sustained.
“I am hopeful she is going to go there on Thursday and it will get thrown out,” Conners said.
Victorian Jockeys Association chief Des O’Keeffe and senior jockey Chris Symons will be among those supporting Rodder.
“She is going to have a few people in her corner,” Conners said.
As acceptances are taken on Wednesday for Saturday’s Sandown meeting, Rodder will be free to ride Centexpress in a fillies and mares 1000m event at Sandown whether she is found guilty of the handling charge or not.
Conners said Centexpress needed to run at Sandown to keep her ticking over the for another heat of 55-Second Challenge (955m) at Moonee Valley on December 16.
Rodder rode the seven-year-old mare last start when she won the fourth heat of the Valley sprint series which is billed as “a pure test of speed”.
The trainer of the horse that runs the quickest time of the 18 heats wins a Mazda BT-50.
Conners just missed the prize last season when Centexpress won two heats of the inaugural series with her fastest winning time of 55.51 seconds just 0.03 seconds outside the fastest time run by La Bella Roo.
Conners said Centexpress was capable at around 1000 metres (three wins and five placings from 15 starts) but better at 955 metres (three wins and two placings from five starts).
“The Moonee Valley series suits her, so we’ve set her for it again,” Conners said.
“She will be competitive over 1000 metres at Sandown on Saturday and give them a run for their money, and then head back to Moonee Valley where we know 955 metres is her go.”
Meanwhile stablemate Fashion will be off the scene for at least three weeks after finishing last and pulling up lame with a bloody foot from Saturday’s Printhouse Graphics Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
“She stood on something in the race and when we brought her out of her box yesterday she was four out of five lame,” Conners said.
Fashion, who is a daughter of Encosta de Lago and 2001 Blue Diamond Stakes winner True Jewels, was to have gone to stud this season but connections decided to give her another campaign after she wintered in Queensland.
AAP TURF
