Jay Ford and Joe Pride have continued their purple patch of form at Rosehill, the jockey and trainer combining to strike a double blow with Anagain and emerging filly In Flight.
It comes a week after Ford travelled to Melbourne to guide Pride’s promising three-year-old The Black Cloud to a Flemington victory and Pride says he is thrilled to see the experienced hoop reaping the rewards of his labour.
“The best thing about Jay, and there are other jockeys who are similar, but Jay has no ego whatsoever,” Pride said.
“I’ve taken him off other horses before and I’ve never heard him complain once. He takes what is given to him, he rides some terribly behaved horses at times and he never complains.
“You want to look after someone like that. It has been a relationship that has lasted for years, and he is having a really great run at the moment.
“It’s good to be rewarding him because he has been there at times when it hasn’t been going as well.”
Pride and Ford landed a race-to-race double with perennial bridesmaid Anagain opening their account in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1400m) before In Flight stamped her class in the Precise Air Handicap (1100m).
Ford lifted Anagain $11 in betting to a long head win over Bakerloo ($11), despite his whip being accidentally dislodged by fellow hoop Nash Rawiller near the 100 metres.
“Bloody Nash knocked it straight out of my hand, so I’m glad we won,” Ford said.
“I was throwing everything I could at her. She doesn’t win very often.”
Ford’s next victory on In Flight was his 96th for Pride, making him the second most successful jockey for the trainer behind the retired Corey Brown (115).
Both Ford and Pride believe the three-year-old has a bright future and can eventually progress to stakes company.
“She is doing everything she needs to do to progress and in time, based on her last couple of wins, she may well make a stakes horse,” Pride said.
“They are wet tracks she’s winning on, so we’ve got to be guarded in that way, and it is the middle of winter, but she is winning with a fair bit of authority.”
Pride was unsure of immediate plans for In Flight, while he said Anagain was approaching the end of her racing career and would be retired to the broodmare barn next season.
