Chris Waller has snapped up the services of champion jockey Jim Cassidy to partner two-year-old Kristy Lee following the Friday scratching of highly-rated youngster Faustus.
Cassidy was booked to ride the John O’Shea-trained Faustus in Saturday’s $100,000 Schweppes Plate (1100m) at Warwick Farm but the colt has been withdrawn and is expected to run as favourite in Sunday’s Black Opal Stakes at Canberra.
Waller hadn’t nominated a jockey for Kristy Lee at acceptance time but was quick to get Cassidy when he became available.
Rod Quinn will partner stablemate and impressive debut winner Catkins.
Kristy Lee, a daughter of well-performed mare Shania Dane, was run down in the shadows of the post on debut at Canterbury recently after doing plenty of work to find the front from an outside barrier.
“She’s a promising filly,” Waller said.
“She will probably be better next time around.”
Catkins scored an easy win on debut at an Australian Turf Club meeting at Kembla in January and has since trialled well at Randwick ahead of her return.
Waller said it was “fifty-fifty” whether the filly would run if the track remained in the heavy range on Saturday.
“If we scratch her hoping for a good track next week, well, we’re in a wet season and to be scratching and waiting at this time of year is not ideal,” he said.
“She has done well. She’s a fast filly, not one that I’d like to be running on a heavy track. That’s my only concern with her.”
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Pure Hustle is the TAB Sportsbet favourite at $3.40 ahead of Catkins ($4.60) and Waller said the race looked pretty competitive on paper, as is expected at this time of year.
“She (Catkins) is on trial and I’m looking towards her next run being a lead-up towards the Slipper,” Waller said.
“Every horse gets their chance at this time of year if they’re good enough. She still has to prove herself.
“She turns it on on race day and in a couple of trials she’s been very impressive.
“She shows more on the field than on the training track.”
AAP TURF
