Patinack Farm trainer John Thompson is hopeful the Queensland Oaks-bound Pretty Pins can give Michael Cahill a successful homecoming in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet on Saturday.
Cahill returned home to the Gold Coast this week following a stint in Mauritius and is set to become one of the main riders for Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm along with Jeff Lloyd.
It follows the sacking of Patinack Farm’s Queensland stable rider, apprentice Tim Bell, on Wednesday.
Lloyd, who has been based in Hong Kong, was expected to start riding at the Group One BTC Cup meeting at Doomben on Saturday week.
However, he won’t start his Queensland tenure until the Group One Doomben Cup meeting the following week after incurring a careless riding suspension in Hong Kong.
Bell was given one week’s notice by Tinkler after a series of indiscretions which breached his contract.
“Tim has had several warnings after missing a lot of trackwork lately since he moved off the farm (at Canungra) three months ago to live on the Gold Coast,” Thompson said.
“He’ll be better off with a master who can keep an eye on him.
“I specifically asked him to turn up for trackwork last Sunday after the Eagle Farm meeting was washed out but he failed to show.
“I wanted him to ride Pretty Pins who is in at the Gold Coast on Saturday. As far as I’m concerned that’s blatant disrespect.”
Bell had hoped to resolve his differences with Patinack Farm but their patience ran out with his failure to attend trackwork on the weekend.
The young hoop maintained he had been riding trackwork six days a week but did not go on Sunday as he believed it was his normal day off.
Thompson believes Pretty Pins can emerge a serious contender for the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2 following the 1800-metre Gold Coast Bracelet.
The daughter of Pins produced an eye-catching run in her comeback when fifth to Morning Captain in the Listed Queensland Day Plate at Doomben last month.
“It was only her first run back and it was a good run,” Thompson said.
“She’s done well since and she should run a big race again.”
