Toowoomba trainer Michael Nolan’s confidence for the weekend has been boosted by the return to Queensland of one of his favourite jockeys, Skye Bogenhuber.
She has been riding in Western Australia for the past four months but returned to trackwork at Toowoomba this week.
Bogenhuber has won the Toowoomba jockeys premiership five times.
Nolan has a strong hand at Doomben on Saturday with smart sprinter Upstart Pride and rising three year olds Amelia Jane and Redex.
But he was just as excited Bogenhuber would ride three horses for him on Saturday night in Toowoomba.
“The whole stable had a buzz about it when Skye returned. The riding ranks in Toowoomba have been a bit light since she left,” Nolan said.
Nolan has booked James Orman to ride Upstart Pride and is expecting him to run a big race in the Listed Keith Noud Quality (1200m).
Upstart Pride is a noted first-up performer and showed he was up to Stakes class winning the Listed Goldmarket Stakes at the Gold Coast in May.
“He is well and does go well fresh. As is always the case with him the early pace from other runners is the key. You know what you will get from him – speed,” Nolan said.
Amelia Jane (fillies) and Redex (colts and geldings) will contest the divisions of the three-year-old handicaps.
“Amelia Jane has always had ability but she is a lot stronger now. She has won her past two starts well at Toowoomba and Gatton and deserves a chance on a Saturday in town,” Nolan said.
He said while Redex was beaten out of a place at his last start in a Doomben three-year-old handicap, he had not been suited by the way the race was run.
“Redex has won three races at the provincial and country tracks recently and is another who deserves another chance in town,” Nolan said.
