Jason Coyle is counting on the attributes that have catapulted Rory Hutchings to the lead in the Sydney apprentices’ title to help Berry Delicious in the Godolphin Crown.
Berry Delicious goes into the fillies and mares race at Hawkesbury as one of the outsiders – and with Hutchings as her third jockey in as many starts since her Group Two Golden Pendant placing in the spring.
“It’s been really hard to nail down a jockey for this mare, but I think Rory is the sort of jockey who will suit her,” Coyle said.
“He has done a little bit of riding for me lately and I think he rides well.
“Not many apprentices win Group One races.
“I’ve seen him winning on a few of Chris Waller’s and he might just suit her. He can be patient and then strong late.”
Hutchings returns from suspension with a four-win lead over Winona Costin in the Sydney apprentices’ title and three of his four Hawkesbury rides are in feature races.
But weight has been his enemy since he came from New Zealand to join the Waller stable and his 20 city winners for the season have come from 113 rides.
In contrast, Costin, who has been sidelined since a fall at Grafton two weeks ago, has ridden 314 times for her 16 winners.
Berry Delicious was held back from most of the Sydney autumn carnival in a move designed to have her in peak health for the Brisbane winter carnival.
The mare never figured in her Sapphire Stakes return, but Coyle is expecting the five-time winner to race near the form that delivered three metropolitan wins in a row last year.
“She’s only a lightly framed thing but she definitely needed it first-up,” Coyle said.
“I think that would have been enough to bring her on enough to be very competitive.”
Appropriately, Fitou and Nancy have been vying for Godolphin Crown favouritism.
Fitou is Godolphin’s only runner in the race it sponsors while Nancy is one of three mares to represent Snowden Racing.
As trainer for Sheikh Mohammed, Peter Snowden virtually made the race his own with Serenissima, Kanzan and Aerobatics (twice) winning for his boss.
Aerobatics’ second success in 2014 signalled Snowden’s last day in charge of the sheikh’s Australian stable before going into partnership with his son and he bowed out with three winners for the meeting.
