Jett Stanley has guided American Wolf to the biggest win of his career in the Adelaide Cup.
Jockey Jett Stanley will celebrate the biggest win of his brief career with a plane flight to Sydney.
Stanley guided the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained American Wolf to a nail-biting win in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville on Monday.
However, celebrations will be put on hold with Stanley booked on a flight to Sydney later in the evening so as he can be at Warwick Farm on Tuesday morning to partner Jenni The Fox in a track gallop ahead of the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Prior to Monday, Stanley’s biggest victory had been in the Group 3 Launceston Cup which came aboard Asva on February 25.
On Saturday, Stanley rode at Murray Bridge, returned to Victoria to ride at Stony Creek the following day before returning to Adelaide for Morphettville’s meeting on Monday.
“It’s been a whirlwind the last 12 days,” Stanley told racing.com.
“I’ve travelled 18,000 kilometres in two weeks. It’s been crazy.
“I’m on a flight to Sydney tonight to ride trackwork in the morning for Tony Ottobre and Ciaron Maher and I’m riding Jenni The Fox in the Coolmore Classic on Saturday.
“I’ve done a Group 3, a Group 2, so hopefully I can do a Group 1 now.”
American Wolf ($21) staged a two-horse war with the $4.80 favourite Highland Bling to eventually score by a nose with Hurry Curry ($9) a further 5-Âľ lengths away third.
Stanley was dislodged from American Wolf on pulling up and was unsure whether he had won until advised by ambulance officers.
Instead of getting a lift back to the winner’s enclosure, Stanley jogged back waving his arms to the crowd.
“The ambos asked if I was OK, and I said, ‘tell me the result of the photo and I’ll tell you how I’m feeling’,” Stanley said.
“One of the ambos said American Wolf and I said yeah and they said, ‘you’ve won’.
“I started running after that and the limp went away pretty quick.
“To do it for Trent and Nat is very special. They have been friends since the day I was born.”
Victorious in the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington in April last year, American Wolf had been set for Monday’s race by the Busuttin and Young team.
However, there were concerns whether the gelding would gain a start with his rating.
“This was always the horse’s Grand Final,” Young said.
“We were a little worried we weren’t going to get into the race with his rating.
“It was the sixth start (of his preparation) today, but Jett rode him a treat. He relaxed nicely and that is what he needed.
“Jett is coming along in leaps and bounds and he’s turning into such a great jockey.
“I’ve known him since he was a baby and I’m absolutely over the moon.”
Young said she was unsure how much further American Wolf could go this campaign.
“He’s still dappled. He looks great, we’ll get him home and weigh it up,” Young said.
“If he does go anywhere after this, we’ll give him three or four weeks to get over it, especially with the trip over and being his sixth run, we need to look after him a little bit.”
