Champion jockey Jim Cassidy rode yet another winner at Randwick on Saturday but missed out on two more through injury as the course hosted its final meeting before undergoing a major facelift.
Cassidy partnered imported galloper Merchandise to victory in the opening race at Randwick’s ‘Grandstand Finish’ meeting but was stood down immediately after returning to scale because of a rib injury he aggravated at the barrier trials on Friday.
The grand slam-winning jockey grimaced in discomfort as he returned to the jockeys’ room and wouldn’t have been feeling any better as fellow jockeys Glyn Schofield and Tommy Berry made the most of pick-up rides later in the day to win on Cheap Thrills and Mossamine respectively.
A crowd of 15,575 was in attendance at the final meeting before work on a $150 million redevelopment at the course begins which includes a state-of-the-art grandstand and the creation of a Theatre of the Horse parade ring.
Berry had already partnered Magic Millions-bound two-year-old Driefontein to a three-length debut win in the Woods Bagot Handicap (1000m) before jumping aboard the Graeme Rogerson-trained Mossamine to bring up a winning double with a half-length victory in the Future Music Festival Handicap (1400m).
“When you pick up a ride of Jimmy’s, they are always going to be not bad rides,” Berry said.
Schofield’s win on Cheap Thrills was also part of a winning double for him, which he brought up on the talented Chris Waller-trained filly Ingham Magic in the Sky Sports Radio Farewells Royal Randwick Handicap (1200m).
Ingham Magic’s half-neck win over Yurrapendi continued a great day for leading trainer Waller who prepared Albert The Fat to win the Group One Emirates Stakes and Vintedge to win the Group Two Matriarch Stakes at Flemington along with a Randwick double.
“It’s been a huge day, they don’t come around too often like that,” Waller’s right-hand man Peter Muscutt said.
“Obviously all the hard work is rewarded.”
Muscutt said Ingham Magic’s win capped a very nice day.
“She’s always shown a tremendous amount,” Muscutt said.
“She was a very progressive two-year-old and then went through a couple of little issues but those seem to be behind her. I certainly think there is a very decent race in her down the track.”
The Waller-trained import Merchandise, meanwhile, could be aimed towards next year’s Sydney Cup following his soft win under Cassidy’s hands and heels riding in the opening race over 2400m.
“He’s a nice stayer going somewhere,” Cassidy said while noticeably in discomfort from the rib injury which sidelined him for the rest of the day.
AAP TURF
