Maloney plays weighting game
Jockey stays on track for Skirt tilt in Millions
RYAN Maloney had to slave away to get down to 55 kgs to ride Skirt The Law in the Magic Millions on Saturday, but says it is an easier assignment the second time around for Thursday’s rescheduled meeting.
Plenty headed for the restaurants and bars following Saturday’s washout, but not Maloney, who says he has been able to maintain his weight comfortably for the last five days in order to ride the Tony Gollan filly in the $2m feature.
Riding at 55.5 kgs at Ipswich on Wednesday will act as the perfect lead in for Maloney, who says he has been keeping himself fit for the prized ride, where he will look to grab his first Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Maloney won the Magic Millions Snippets (1200m) aboard Isotope in 2023 and the 3YO Guineas on Alligator Blood in 2020, before it was controversially stripped off him – before the Supreme Court recently overturned the disqualification.
“I reckon I will go in there on Thursday feeling better than what I did on Saturday to be honest,” Maloney said.
“Once you get down to the weight, it’s not too bad – it’s when you let down after it, it becomes a problem.
“It’s easier the second time around because I didn’t let myself go after Saturday, I just kept myself ticking over by watching what I eat and my fluid intake.
“I have known I was riding her at 55 kgs for a while now, so it hasn’t been too bad.”
Skirt The Law was sensationally backed into favouritism on Saturday, before being reset as a $7 chance for Thursday’s re-run, and Maloney says the unbeaten filly has all the right attributes to win.
With the rail expected to be a no-go zone, he says Skirt The Law will be able to plot a course from barrier three.
“Everyone I spoke to (on Saturday) said the rail was an absolute bog, but she has the speed to get herself out of trouble,” he said. “She had a faultless prep going into it.
“Her gallops have been spot on leading up to it and she has ticked the 1200m box going into it so I will be going into the race really confident because there is no real standout two-year-old.”