Top Brisbane hoop Glen Colless will venture to Sydney for just one ride on Wednesday as he continues a comeback to the saddle following a fall at Doomben last month.
Colless will partner the Alan Bailey-trained God Bless Us in the Ascot Club Handicap (1200m) at Canterbury after returning to race riding on Saturday after three and a half weeks out of action.
Bailey decided on sending God Bless Us back to Sydney for Wednesday’s race after the youngster was scratched at Doomben last Saturday.
“I had her in a race up here (in Brisbane) on Saturday but she drew 15 and it was a pretty fair field so I scratched her and thought this was the better option but unfortunately she’s drawn 15 again,” Bailey said.
“We just can’t get a barrier with her, even last start when she went down to Sydney she drew a couple from the outside.”
God Bless Us is still a maiden from four starts but was a victim of circumstances first-up at Warwick Farm on July 13 when she raced wide and struck interference midrace when fourth to Road To Summer over 1200m.
“She’s racing all right and her work is good but she’s just having no luck in her races and no luck with the draws,” Bailey said.
“I think she’s there to win a race or two as long as it goes her way.”
The Gold Coast trainer has no plans to keep God Bless Us in Sydney for early season fillies races but was hopeful the hit-and-run mission would prove successful on Wednesday.
Colless replaces Kathy O’Hara who rode God Bless Us at Warwick Farm.
“Glen always rides my horses whenever he can and he’s just returned from a fall,” Bailey said.
“He only had a couple of rides in Brisbane on Saturday and a couple more on Sunday. He’s gradually getting back into it and it suited him to come down for this one ride.”
Bailey said he doesn’t tie Colless down with instructions and would let him see how the race unfolds when the filly begins from the wide gate.
“There’s a reasonable run down the back straight at Canterbury so if he can get across on her I think she can be somewhere in the finish,” Bailey said.
The seven-race program kicks off metropolitan racing in Sydney for the 2011/12 season with premier trainer Chris Waller entering 11 horses.
Reigning premiership-winning jockey Nash Rawiller has a light book to start the new campaign with just two rides – Just The Tonic in the opening race and second emergency Miss Ready in the second.
AAP TURF
