In a sure sign the spring carnival is just around the corner, Jim Cassidy reminded his jockeys’ room colleagues why he is up with the best at Rosehill on Saturday.
In his second race back from his annual winter break, Cassidy produced a confident ride on the Chris Waller-trained Velrosso to win the TAB Iphone App Handicap (1200m).
Velrosso promised much early in his career but a broken leg put paid to lofty ambitions and Saturday’s win was the five-year-old’s fourth from 14 starts.
Sent out favourite at $1.80, Velrosso came from the pack to beat Fireball ($5) by three-quarters of a length, a victory Cassidy said was in his keeping at the halfway mark after producing a new jingle.
“Ring a ding ding, he’s back to do his thing,” Cassidy said offering a variation on the usual `Pumper is king’.
“I thought they might have gone a bit quick but he was travelling really well.
“I got a big cheeky at the 600 (metres) and let him come out around them.
“I only had to ride him hands and heels. He had class on the rest of them.”
The winner of 98 Group One races and determined to make it 100 this spring, Cassidy said he had not had to do too much to get back to peak fitness.
“I’ve been on a detox diet for two weeks,” he said.
“No coffee, no sugar and no beer.
“I got up to 57 kilos on my holiday and came to the races today at 52.5.
“Not bad for a 50-year-old.”
Appropriately, the race preceded an Australian Turf Club presentation to premier trainer Waller to commemorate his record-breaking season.
Waller set a new mark of 167-1/2 in 2012-13 and after consultation with the trainer’s wife Stephanie, the club gave him a Longines watch.
