An exodus to the Gold Coast, injuries and suspension have decimated Sydney’s riding ranks for Rosehill on Saturday.
Eight riders from the top 10 on the premiership table will be missing, ensuring one of the most hotly-contested title contests for many seasons will be put on hold for one meeting.
Only Darley’s Kerrin McEvoy and former New Zealand rider Jason Collett are top 10 Sydney jockeys with Rosehill bookings.
But for a training setback to Frill Seeking, Collett would have also been heading to the Gold Coast to ride the filly in the Magic Millions Classic.
Instead, he finds himself well placed to consolidate a lofty position on a crowded Sydney premiership leader board.
“I’ve copped quite a few suspensions so I’m really happy to be where I am in the premiership,” Collett said.
“Because I was supposed to be going to the Gold Coast, I’m a bit behind the eight-ball with rides but Saturday is still an opportunity to keep the momentum going with so many riders away.”
Collett holds down sixth place with 22 winners since August and he is 11 behind the pacesetter Glyn Schofield who is 1-1/2 wins ahead of Hugh Bowman.
As well as riding for leading country trainer Danny Williams, Collett will share mounts for premier trainer Chris Waller on Saturday with his apprentice sister Alysha and Brenton Avdulla.
With Schofield and Bowman riding at the Gold Coast and Corey Brown sidelined as he recovers from shoulder surgery, Waller is relying mostly on Avdulla to fill a void.
“We’ll have a big team in on Saturday and we’ve got Brenton booked for five or six of our runners,” Waller’s racing manager Liam Prior said.
Tommy Berry, Christian Reith and Blake Shinn are other top 10 riders committed to Gold Coast mounts.
Reith has picked up the Magic Millions Guineas ride on Gosford filly She’s A Stalker.
Also missing from the Rosehill meeting will be the suspended Peter Robl and Nash Rawiller, who is out of the saddle nursing a fractured ankle.
