The jockey who was in the saddle for the most important moment of Dealer Principal’s career has been called on to help revive the flagging fortunes of the Group One winner.
Peter Robl will be reunited with Dealer Principal when the 2008 Rosehill Guineas hero takes his place as the rank outsider in the De Bortoli Wines Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
“Peter has ridden him a couple of times in track gallops and he’s been pretty happy with him,” trainer Anthony Cummings said.
“Hopefully there is something Peter can tweak to spark the horse back into form.”
Injuries because of accidents have conspired against Dealer Principal beefing up a record in which his Guineas victory over Kingda Ka is a stand out.
“The horse is healthy and well and he’s sound but obviously he’s not going as well as he was,” Cummings said.
“Hopefully the handicapper can start to realise that as well and rate him accordingly so he can get into a race where he can be competitive.”
Dealer Principal resumed from a seven-week let-up and finished rearward to Straight Albert in the Goulburn Cup in which he carried 61kg.
“It was a leader-dominated race and he wasn’t hopeless,” Cummings said.
Now a seven-year-old, Dealer Principal’s last win was over Saturday’s course in early 2010 but it’s a statistic that does little to inspire TAB fixed odds price assessors who have marked him a $101 chance.
Like his mount, Robl is also trying to resurrect his career after spending 12 months sidelined because of disqualification.
Robl posted his first city success since his return at Canterbury last week and he is booked for four rides on Saturday.
O’Crikey and Al’s Gold are early scratchings from the race.
The Peter Snowden-trained Scarf, under consideration to join high profile stablemates Sepoy and Helmet as a member of Sheikh Mohammed’s Goldolphin team, is the clear $2.50 favourite.
AAP TURF
