PLUMB LUCK
RYAN Plumb says a personal record of four wins at Aquis Park will enable him to stay among the leaders for the Gold Coast jockeys premiership between stints riding in Brisbane.
Plumb rode four winners at Saturday’s meeting at the Coast, the first time he had achieved the feat at the track since he was an apprentice.
The 29-year-old jockey won on the Les Kelly-trained trio The Kingdom, Aggravate and She’s A Youeffoh along with Michael Costa’s Stanley.
“I have had three at the Gold Coast a couple of times but I haven’t ridden four since I was an apprentice here a long time ago,” Plumb said.
“It was just a great day and I’m glad it worked out well.”
It took Plumb’s season tally to seven wins at the Gold Coast and pushed the 2017-18 premiership winner to the top of the standings in the early stages of the 2018-19 season.
Plumb has travelled to Brisbane to ride in three metropolitan meetings already this season and said he was likely to do so again soon.
First though, he is eyeing another win on the Kellytrained Freddie Fox Trot at his home track on Saturday.
Freddie Fox Trot, who has won five of his seven starts, is among the Kelly stable stars but Plumb says they have unearthed another smart one in The Kingdom, who he rated as the best of his four winners.
The three-year-old gelding won the Colts, Geldings and Entires Maiden Handicap (1200m) at the second run of his career.
The Kingdom trialled poorly in his first preparation in January and didn’t race but has now shown glimpses of his ability to Plumb and Kelly.
“He only won the maiden but I think he is the best horse in the making out of those,” Plumb said.
“He is a really nice stayer in the making. He is a genuine 2000m-plus horse. Whatever he does this time in, he will have some big improvement in the next six months.
“He should make a metropolitan grade horse and he is improving every time I get on him.
“I just like the way he sustained the big run (on Saturday). He was run off his legs in the first half of the race and never got a chance to travel.
“Once he started to make ground I didn’t want to stop him again because he never travelled through the race. He wasn’t able to keep up the pace with them (early).”