Jockey Linda Meech has formed a formidable combination with the Symon Wilde-trained sprinter Inn Keeper and they will be out to add to their unblemished partnership at Moonee Valley.
A hard-fought win in the $100,000 Golden Topaz at Swan Hill last Friday on a heavy track took four-year-old Inn Keeper’s record to seven wins from nine starts.
But Meech is unbeaten on Inn Keeper, having been aboard in all seven wins.
Wilde has accepted for Inn Keeper in Saturday’s Catanach’s Jewellers Plate (1200m) and Meech expects the gelding to be hard to beat as long as the Swan Hill effort has not taken too much out of him.
“He’s never let me down, that’s for sure,” Meech said.
“Symon is doing a great job with him. Not many horses win seven from nine.
“He had a hard run at Swan Hill. Hopefully he bounces back well from that.
“I think he’s drawn quite nicely in barrier five on Saturday so that will work for him.
“He’ll probably be up there on the speed and he’s pretty push-button to ride.
“I can’t see why he wouldn’t win again.”
Meech first won on Inn Keeper in an Ararat maiden at the gelding’s second start in February last year and since then they have added wins at Geelong, Casterton, Terang, Warrnambool, Caulfield and Swan Hill.
Inn Keeper’s only defeat since his debut second at Stawell came when he finished sixth under a big weight at Ararat at the end of his previous preparation on a good-rated track.
Meech said Inn Keeper needed the sting out of the surface to perform at his best but she said he had always been a nice horse and it had not surprised her to see him go through his grades.
“He’s always felt like he’s had a little bit left every time he’s won,” Meech said.
“Probably the first time he’s ever been bottomed out was at Swan Hill so hopefully he can bounce back from that.
“Potentially he could be very good but he has been really well placed by Symon.”
Saturday’s field of 10 includes Group One winner Bon Aurum, who is coming back from a lengthy injury absence, having not raced since the spring of 2016.
