Not only will apprentice Dylan Gibbons make his first foray into Group 1 racing in the Surround Stakes at Randwick, he will do it all again forty minutes later.
Gibbons has been booked to partner Wolverine for his boss Kris Lees in the three-year-old fillies’ feature and will replace the injured Jason Collett aboard Montefilia in the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m).
Collet suffered fractures to his foot in a trackwork accident on Tuesday and Montefilia’s trainer David Payne was still looking for a new jockey when acceptances were declared.
He settled on Gibbons, one of the young stars of the riding ranks with 35 metropolitan winners this season leading into Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting and who along with Tyler Schiller and Zac Lloyd, is in a three-way dual for the Sydney apprentices’ title.
Gibbons has a Group 3 win courtesy of Festival Dancer in the 2021 Spring Stakes at Newcastle and while he is still wet behind the ears when it comes to riding at the highest level, Payne is happy to gift him the Chipping Norton opportunity.
“I’ve been watching him and he’s a very good rider,” Payne said.
“I think he’s got all the attributes to be a top jockey.
“He has ridden a few horses for me and I’ve been happy with him.”
Montefilia usually races competitively fresh, running fourth to Anamoe first-up in the George Main Stakes (1600m) last spring and finishing just over 2-1/2 lengths from Verry Elleegant on a heavy track in the Chipping Norton Stakes 12 months ago.
She is returning from a Cups campaign in which she stormed home for fourth to Durston in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) before failing to see out the 3200-metres of the Melbourne Cup.
“She doesn’t stay two-miles, that we found out,” Payne said.
“But the Caulfield Cup was the race that got away, she was unlucky.”
Montefilia will have at least three runs this autumn, the next at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day when she will bid to defend her Ranvet Stakes (2000m) title before backing up a week later in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) on March 25.
Pending her performances, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) is also on the radar.
Payne isn’t expecting a first-up win against the likes of Anamoe and Fangirl, but he does anticipate Montefilia running her usual, bold race.
“She always runs well. She will give her best and she will be finding the line,” he said.
Wolverine finished out of the placings first-up in the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) but she does have a Group 2 placing over Saturday’s course and distance and is a second-up winner.
