Christian Reith has reignited his riding career in Sydney this season and will try to put the icing on the cake on Saturday with victory on Madibagold in the city’s final stakes race of 2010/11.
Reith returned from Brisbane early last year and has surged into the top 10 in the Sydney jockeys’ premiership in recent months.
The 32-year-old took a week off to recharge the batteries last week and is confident Madibagold has what it takes to be successful in Saturday’s Listed Winter Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
The David Payne-trained Madibagold finished second in the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) behind Little Surfer Girl last start and Reith is confident of another bold showing.
“He ran well the other day,” Reith said.
“He’s on the limit (53kg) again on Saturday. He can beat them.”
Reith has ridden 39 metropolitan winners in Sydney for the season including six wins at Listed level.
He has seven Rosehill rides and is looking forward to getting back on the Gwenda Markwell-trained Agent Bauer in the Woolworths Handicap (2000m).
Agent Bauer led and kicked in the straight over 1550m on the Kensington track at Randwick last start with Tommy Berry aboard, only to be run down by Circle Of Power.
“I won two races on him last preparation and then rode him in the Australia Day Cup and he ran off the track and had had enough,” Reith said.
“He seems to be improving that bit with each run this preparation, he’s had three runs back now and should be raring to go on Saturday.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on him.”
Joe Pride has booked Reith for last-start winner Hot Fox in the NAB Corporate Handicap and Recorrido in the Banjo Advertising Handicap, while one of the hoop’s major supporters, trainer John O’Shea, has him on two-year-old Fille Vilaine and Romanus.
“Fille Vilaine was scratched from Wednesday to run on Saturday,” Reith said.
“I rode her in work on Tuesday morning and she worked nicely. It’s a tough race but her work indicates she can be competitive.”
Reith returned from a week’s break on Tuesday and after riding trackwork at Randwick drove to Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley to compete at the country meeting.
“Just because I’m riding a lot more in the city doesn’t mean I’m going to stop going to places like Scone and Muswellbrook during the week,” he said.
“I still enjoy going to those places and riding for the trainers that have supported me.
“Paul Messara and Paul Perry have been very loyal to me, they were there for me at the beginning and have been a very strong backbone since I’ve been back in Sydney.
“It’s the right thing to do to still be going to those meetings for them.”
AAP TURF
