Michael Dee is unsure how long his association with Atishu will last, but the top Melbourne jockey is happy to team up with her in this Saturday’s Group 1 CF Orr Stakes.
The six-year-old will have her first start since winning the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November in the $750,000 race at Caulfield.
The 1400-metre event will be Dee’s first ride aboard Atishu, who has been ridden to Group 1 success by James Mcdonald and Nash Rawiller, and delighted to be entrusted with the ride by champion trainer Chris Waller.
“I suppose if the likes of ‘J-Mac’, Nash and those guys could come down they would be first port of call for a ride like this, but if I’m the next one in line to be called up after that it’s a good position to be in and I’m happy to take what I can get,” Dee said.
The first of Dee’s 12 Group 1 wins was for Waller, aboard Shillelagh in the 2017 Cantala Stakes, while he has also won a Caulfield Cup (Durston), Victoria Derby (Manzoice) and Coolmore Classic (Espiona) for his fellow ex-pat New Zealander.
Dee is not sure if the Orr Stakes can be elite-level win number five, with Atishu’s only first-up win from seven attempts coming in a 1400m BM88 at her first start for Waller in August 2021, but he expects her class to carry her a long way.
“Obviously it’s a strong race and she’s first-up, but a lot of those top-line chances are first-up as well,” Dee said.
“The 1400 is probably on her sharp side, but I she’s run well first-up before over 1400m.”
Atishu’s spring campaign started with a fifth in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m), but she launched last year’s autumn campaign with a second placing in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) before winning the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf (1600m).
Dee and Atishu will start from barrier seven in the nine-horse Orr Stakes and is a $13 chance in the market headed by odds-on favourite Mr Brightside.
