Leading picnic rider Adam Bodey is after his first metropolitan winner with the in-form Gold Viper who will be his first runner in town at Sandown on Wednesday.
Bodey has dominated the picnic scene as a jockey for more than a decade, winning the past 11 premierships straight, and during his career in the saddle has notched close to 600 winners.
He started training some eight years ago and says it is tougher from a business perspective but he has had success with a small team of half a dozen, mainly at the picnics with Gold Viper (11 wins from 29 starts) and Christies (nine wins from 13 starts).
Christies, who stepped up from the picnics to win a Rating 0-58 race on the Geelong synthetic track in August, was named Victorian picnic Horse of the Year last season.
Since coming through the grass roots level at the picnics, Gold Viper has won four races on the professional circuit – at Echuca in May, Sale in June and is out to complete a hat-trick following wins at Moe on November 22 and Mornington on December 9.
Apprentice Jake Noonan rides the Golden Snake seven-year-old in The Cove Hotel Hcp (2400m).
“He’s been good fun for us and is in good form at the moment so we thought we’d have a crack at a city race,” Bodey, who part-owns the gelding, said.
“It’s a bit of a buzz. I’m not expecting too much. I know the horse will run well without saying saying he can go there and win.
“He’ll acquit himself well. It’s a stronger race. It’s his class but it’s still tougher when you go to town.
“That’s the risk you take when you go to Sandown, you might meet a few horses on the up.
“But at the same time if there ever was a good time to have a crack at a $30,000 0-68 Rating race it is now.
“There’s no point having a crack when he’s at the end of his preparation.”
Gold Viper is at $12 with TAB Sportsbet which has the Darren Weir-trained Derisive as $3.60 favourite ahead of Looklook at $6 and Elms at $7.50.
Trainer Allison Sheehan is also after her first metropolitan success with Tackleberry in the Race-Tech Hcp (1200m).
The Lago Delight gelding steps up to the three-year-old 0-68 race having won a Mornington three-year-old maiden (1207m) at his second start on November 29 following a third on debut at Cranbourne on debut 11 days earlier.
“He’s going to be a nice horse but I think he’ll be a lot better in six months when he’s a more mature horse,” Sheehan, who had a showjumping background before starting as a trainer seven years ago, said.
“This race is his grade so we thought we’d progress on to it and not throw him into the deep end.
“He’s very sound and he’s going to go a long way.”
Danny Nikolic takes over the reins from Michael Walker who is currently taking a break in New Zealand.
AAP TURF
