A pair of promising two-year-olds from the Ciaron Maher stable have lured top Sydney hoop Jason Collett to Queensland for back-to-back meetings this weekend.
Collett is heading north to partner filly Life After Love in the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut (1000m) at the Gold Coast on Friday night and her Maher-trained stablemate Icarian Dream in Saturday’s BJ McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm a day later.
He has picked up a host of other rides, including Rothfire in the Magic Millions Falvelon (1000m) on Saturday, but the Maher pair is the reason for his visit.
“There’s two. On Friday night in the debutants race, the horse for Ciaron Maher. She trialled really nicely for me at Warwick Farm,” Collett said.
“Icarian Dream is the other one. She is probably unlucky not to be three from three.
“I sat on her in the Golden Gift and she copped a bad squeeze around the turn and lost a fair bit of ground and momentum but she only got beaten a length or so. Last start she looked to loom up and win and had to go in between a few runners and lost momentum again.
“I am looking forward to riding her again.”
Icarian Dream finished runner-up to The Playwright over 1100m at Rosehill last start and will be bidding to give Maher his second win in the race after the success of Coolangatta three years ago.
Collett is also excited to link with warhorse Rothfire, who tackles the Falvelon second-up after finishing midfield behind Golden Boom in the Bribie Handicap (1000m) earlier this month.
The seven-year-old is a two-time winner over the track and distance and Collett expects him to be much better suited over the slightly longer journey.
“It’s nice to get on a good horse like him,” he said.
“I haven’t ridden him before but his first-up run was good. He was a bit slow to begin and I like the way he was still there at the finish over an unsuitable trip with a big weight.
“He has drawn a bit awkwardly, but I think most of mine have.”
Collett has seven rides at Eagle Farm and five have drawn double-figure alleys, including Rothfire and Icarian Dream.
The top jockey is set to be a regular fixture in Queensland over the coming weeks, confirming he would be alternating his time between there and Sydney in the lead up to the Magic Millions carnival at the Gold Coast next month.
