MR QUICKIE HAS BOSS ABOARD
CONNECTIONS of unlucky Caulfield Cup runner Mr Quickie have set their sights on Saturday’s Cox Plate — and they have secured in-form jockey Glen Boss to ride him.
Managing owner Wylie Dalziel said yesterday Boss had committed to the ride on Saturday night, only hours after his mount Yes Yes Yes won the $14 million The Everest at Randwick.
“Bossy rang and told us he was keen to ride (Mr Quickie) as he thought he should have won the Caulfield Cup,” Dalziel said. He said it had been a hard decision to take John Allen off Mr Quickie.
He said they had been in touch with Moonee Valley chief executive Michael Browell as to whether Mr Quickie would get a run in the Plate.
“(Part-owner) Peter Moody spoke to him, and he said he’s definitely not in and he’s definitely not out,” Dalziel said.
“He said he’s got strong credentials to get into the race.
“He’s a Queensland Derby winner and he finished third in the Makybe Diva Stakes. He’s got form around Hartnell and Mystic Journey.” Dalziel said the Caulfield Cup was “one that got away”, even though Mr Quickie finished 11th and 41/4 lengths from the winner.
The gelding missed the start by three lengths and ran into trouble in the closing stages.
“He was fractious at the start,” Dalziel said.
“Jeff O’Connor looked at the stewards’ footage and thought it was 50-50 whether a barrier attendant had hold of him. When he jumped, he wanted to get away from him and came out sideways. John understandably then rode him for luck, and he had no luck.”
Dalziel said he had spoken to Mr Quickie’s trainer Phillip Stokes, who said the horse had pulled up in great fashion.
Boss has given himself a real chance of cleaning up in spring racing’s four richest features after clinching The Everest.
As well as the Cox Plate on Saturday, the Golden Eagle at Rosehill on November 2 and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington onNovember 5 are also in the veteran jockey’s sights.
Boss will ride Constantinople, who finished fourth in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup, in the race that stops the nation.
And he has the ride on Epsom Handicap hero Kolding in the Golden Eagle.
“I can’t believe it, to be honest,’’ Boss, 50, said yesterday.
“I’m still trying to come to terms with winning The Everest, and I now firmly believe I’ve got legitimate winning chances in these three big races coming up. It’s crazy.”