Forty years after starting his apprenticeship at Ballarat, journeyman jockey Kevin Forrester will be chasing a hometown Cup win on Saturday.
Forrester, 53, partners Mujadale in the $200,000 Ballarat Cup as his career comes full circle since his introduction to racing as a 14-year-old.
Bookmakers rate Mujadale a $12 chance but Forrester says there was enough merit in the stayer’s Ararat Gold Cup win for the seven-year-old to be rated a serious Ballarat Cup threat.
“Mujadale won well the other day and hopefully he’ll give me a good ride on Saturday,” Forrester said.
Forrester was indentured to Vin Grace at Ballarat but completed his time with Geoff Murphy in Melbourne.
There haven’t been too many places in Australia where he hasn’t ridden and there’s been the odd good horse along the way.
He rode Dupain to win the 1996 Brisbane Cup and won nine Perth races on Miss Andretti before the one-time queen of sprinters earned international fame with a Royal Ascot win when trained by Lee Freedman.
Between Dupain and Miss Andretti there was a stint in Malaysia but he has returned to Ballarat thanks to the father-and-son training team of Barry and Glen James.
And while the rides are not as frequent as he would like, Forrester has compiled a neat strike rate of six winners and four placings from 24 races since his return.
He is content to be back home after spending the last five years in Queensland.
“I’m really enjoying it,” Forrester said. “I’m sort of the live-in racing manager, the jockey and whatever else needs doing.”
A capacity field has accepted for the Ballarat Cup – the last of the Victorian spring carnival feature races.
And it’s as wide open as any Cup run during the past two months, with last-start Moonee Valley winner Spinderbella and veteran stayer Tuscan Fire sharing favouritism at $6.
At First Sight, runner-up to Mujadale at Ararat and one of three in the race for Ballarat’s premiership-winning trainer Darren Weir, shares the second line of betting at $9.
