Champion jockey Jim Cassidy rode in pain at Rosehill on Saturday, but after bagging an early treble it was easy to see why he made the effort.
Cassidy left Randwick in noticeable discomfort after just one ride last Saturday with rib cartilage damage but recovered quickly enough to ride on Thursday and Friday and again on Saturday.
He opened proceedings at Rosehill with a winning double for trainer John O’Shea on two-year-old Faustus and promising three-year-old Colorado Claire.
He then made it three from three rides with victory in the fourth event on the Darren Smith-trained Oakfield Beauty.
Colorado Claire ($2.70 fav) continued the unbeaten start to her career, making the transition to city grade with ease as she defeated Sindarin ($2.90) by 1-1/4 lengths in the Bacardi Handicap (1400m) with Debelle ($8.50) another 2-1/4 lengths away third.
“It’s a good healer for the ribs, a few winners,” Cassidy quipped.
“They (the ribs) are still pretty sore but I’ve done my best. I’ve been icing all week. I guaranteed my trainers and owners I wouldn’t let them down and would be here, so I’m thankful to them for being loyal and hanging out for a couple of days for me.”
Colorado Claire sat just off her main danger Sindarin in running but Cassidy took a look over his shoulder at the top of the running and then the filly responded as the jockey released the brakes.
“She’s a nice filly and just wants to win. She’s a professional,” Cassidy said.
“In the run she was a pleasure to ride, she wanted to win and knew what it was all about.”
O’Shea said Colorado Claire and debut winner Faustus were two of “a tribe” of promising young horses in his Randwick stables that make it easy for him to get out of bed each morning.
Faustus stamped himself as a possible Golden Slipper prospect, defeating Kuchinskaya and Limes on debut in Saturday’s Nova 969 Fitzy & Wippa Handicap (1100m).
The colt is headed to the paddock to target the autumn while Colorado Claire is in line to back up at Warwick Farm next Saturday.
“She’s a lovely filly,” O’Shea said of Colorado Claire.
“There’s an opportunity to run her next week in a mile (1600m) race, an Inglis bonus race, so we’ll just see how she pulls up and if she does well we’ll probably give her the opportunity to run there.”
AAP TURF
