Golden Eagle winner Obamburumai will return to Sydney this autumn for the Doncaster Mile with Josh Parr confirming he has been booked for the Group 1 ride.
Parr partnered the Japanese-trained horse to win the $10 million Golden Eagle in the spring, replacing superstar jockey Yutaka Take , who was injured in a race day incident at Tokyo in the lead-up and unable to make the trip.
Thrilled to again get the call-up from Obamburumai’s trainer Keiji Yoshimura, Parr says the Doncaster is likely to be the horse’s only run, as was the case with his hit-and-run raid on the Golden Eagle.
“He is coming back for the Doncaster and thankfully I have been booked to ride him,” Parr said.
“He will more than likely only have the one run, that being the Doncaster, similar to what he did with the Golden Eagle.
“I think it’s an achievable target. He showed an immense amount of ability winning the Golden Eagle and if he can get here in good order and have a bit of luck, I’d suggest he will be fighting out the finish.
“He’s extremely talented, so professional too for a young horse. His action is faultless and his attitude also, so he just makes a perfect racehorse.”
Obamburumai hasn’t raced since the Golden Eagle (1500m) in November, but he had solid form in Japan prior to his Australian venture, winning three of his five starts in his homeland, two of them at Group level.
Parr is hoping his association with the four-year-old might open the door to an opportunity with the Japan Racing Association down the track.
“The JRA is a jurisdiction that every jockey in the world hopes to get a chance at,” Parr said.
“Who knows what is around the corner, but I really am excited about teaming up with him again.”
Obamburumai is an $11 chance in early Doncaster Mile markets with online betting sites.
