Nolen’s Wish for win
But star jockey says he won’t be watching big race
Comeback jockey Luke Nolen will be cheering in absentia for I Wish I Win in the $3m Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on Saturday at Randwick.
Nolen could not quite get race fitness back in time to defend the sprint star’s TJ Smith crown with trainer Peter Moody after an unfortunate trackwork fall eight weeks’ ago.
Nolen raced the clock but ultimately made the tough call last week to forgo the ride.
Champion jockey James McDonald will partner I Wish I Win for Moody, co-trainer Katherine Coleman and the gelding’s owner-breeder Mark Chittick, of Waikato Stud.
Imperatriz is a $2.80 favourite in TAB’s all-in market for the TJ Smith Stakes from I Wish I Win ($3.50), Sunshine In Paris ($7) and Private Eye ($8).
“I’ll probably distract myself,” Nolen said, preferring not to watch the race live on television.
“They’re hard to watch, good horses going around without you, and if anyone says it isn’t they’re lying.
“I wish them all the best, Pete and Mark, good luck to them, hopefully I can get back on him when he goes to Queensland.”
Moody last week praised Nolen for the decision, but the 43-year-old jockey said it was “the right thing to do, the right call”.
“It’s a $3m race and I’d probably be racing a bit sparingly this week,” Nolen, inset, said.
“I was confident early, hopeful more so, but the closer we got the harder it looked like being.
“We endeavoured as hard as we could to get right, but come up a bit short.”
I Wish I Win powered to victory in the TJ Smith last year.
The Group 1 gelding is on track to defend the title.
“He’s a quality horse and got a very good way of going,” Nolen said.
“He’s only had three goes in Sydney, a Golden Eagle (win), a TJ (win) and second in an Everest, they’re pretty good figures.
“He travels well and I’m sure he’ll give a good account.” Nolen fell in trackwork at Pakenham on February 8 due to a saddle malfunction – the pin popped out of a stirrup strap. Track staff found Nolen after his riderless horse was seen and captured. Nolen initially thought he sustained a pelvic injury, however, scans in hospital discovered a nasty internal bleed.
“I tore my bowel from the lining at the back of my stomach,” Nolen said.
“That was the issue, so that’s why it took as long as it did.”
Nolen has been riding track work daily the past three weeks and competed yet another frustrating comeback with a race ride last Friday.
“The body is right, the weight is pretty good, the hunger is there,” Nolen said.
“I’ve had more comebacks than John Farnham and they’re not getting any easier, I’m best staying on the horses from now on and try and get a bit of continuity.”