Gold Coast trainer Helen Page has called on an association going back decades to secure dual Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Corey Brown to ride veteran Rudy at Doomben.
Another Sydney jockey, Tim Clark, has built up a great association with Rudy but is on holidays and will miss Saturday’s meeting.
Rudy, the winner of more than $1 million prize money, is chasing a wild card into the Magic Millions Trophy (2200m) by winning the Shoot Out Quality over the same distance.
Rudy is home bred and is one of six horses chasing the wild card in the Shoot Out.
Page had been hoping Clark would stick with Rudy after riding the gelding into second place in a Quality Handicap (2020m) at Doomben two weeks ago.
Clark has an outstanding record on Rudy and during the winter they won the Tatts Cup, finished second in the O’Shea Stakes and third in the Doomben Cup.
Page said when she realised Brown would be riding in Brisbane she was quick to get him as a replacement.
“My husband John and I go back a long way with Corey and he won the 1998 QTC Cup for me with Celestial Choir,” Page said.
“Tim obviously knows Rudy well and we would have liked him. But Corey has won a lot of big races and it was good to get him,” Page said.
Rudy will carry 60.5 kg on Saturday and give at least five kilos to all his rivals.
“He really is paying the price at the weights for being so honest. But he likes Doomben and this is the race we have been aiming at,” Page said
Stephen Baster will replace Brown on the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Long Time Ago in the Shoot Out.
Baster, who has been doing much of the training partnership’s riding in Melbourne, will also be aboard free wheeling Cabeza De Vaca in the Bernborough Handicap.
