The move to the Sunshine State is paying dividends for 33-year-old Ryan Maloney, the Victorian seemingly winning at will this season with a phenomenal 37.5% strike rate. Maloney has steered 15 wins home in season 18/19 from just 40 rides, sitting just 2 behind leading jockey Jeff Lloyd who has had 62 starts.
Absolutely flying at the moment, Maloney teams up with Toby Edmonds to ride Houtzen in the Group 2 Mittys McEwen Stakes over 1000m at the Valley on Saturday. Houtzen will be aiming to go a couple better after finishing 3rd in this race last year behind Russian Revolution and Heathery before winning in Group 3 company at Moonee Valley in preparation for the Everest.
The four-year-old mare by I Am Invincible is yet to miss a place first up and has a remarkable record of 3 from 3 second up, as punters will be eying the return of the 2017 Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner. Houtzen (9.50) is currently on the third line of betting behind Nature Strip ($1.50) and Shoals ($5.00) with the quote of $1.80 to finish in the top 3 looking very enticing.
Jockey Ryan Maloney will on Saturday be chasing his 4th Group 2 win, his ride on Houtzen his only for the day at Moonee Valley before heading to the Sunshine Coast on Sunday. Maloney and Edmonds have teamed up for 9 wins from 21 starts so far this season at 42.9%, currently one of the most prolific trainer-jockey partnerships in the county.
