Grande Rosso will be given his chance at the highest level
Grande Rosso will be given his chance at the highest level after scoring a fighting win in a stakes race at Caulfield giving Regan Bayliss his first metropolitan success as a senior jockey.
Lindsay Park co-trainer Tom Dabernig said the in-form Grande Rosso had earned a tilt at next month’s Group One C F Orr Stakes after taking out the John Dillon Stakes (1400m) on Thursday.
Grande Rosso has been a revelation since joining Lindsay Park, landing his fourth win from six starts for his new stable and earning more than $270,000 prize money.
The gelding was sent out the $3.10 favourite and scored a short head win over Tonopah ($8.50) with Duke Of Brunswick ($3.70) a head away third.
“The owners have had a great ride with this horse,” Dabernig said.
“We might roll the dice in the Orr Stakes on February 11 and give the owners a crack at a Group One.
“He’s a fit, in-form horse and it might be worth having a shot with him.”
Bayliss outrode his claim in December and made application to finish his apprenticeship early.
He claimed a winner at Ballarat on Wednesday, his first meeting as a senior jockey.
Bayliss said it was an enormous thrill to ride his first feature win as a senior rider for Lindsay Park.
The jockey was apprenticed to Peter Moody before the trainer retired after his cobalt suspension last March.
Bayliss said he would continue to ride work for Lindsay Park up to six days a week and head to the stable’s country property once a fortnight.
“It’s working, so why change it,” he said.
Bayliss said Grande Rosso was headed by the runner-up in the straight.
“He put a good long neck on me but he he was good enough to tough it out and run through the line,” Bayliss said.
