Oliver bid for glory
CHAMPION jockey Damien Oliver has spent 25 years honing his judgment and he’ll be using all his experience as he tries to combine two goals this season – winning his 10th Victorian premiership and adding to his 105 Group 1 wins.
The 42- year- old has missed out during the past six weeks, riding placegetters but no Group 1 winners in Sydney and losing the lead to Craig Williams ( 41) and Dwayne Dunn ( 40) as he remained static on 39 Victorian city successes.
On Saturday he’ll reunite with River Lad, the gelding on whom he won last year’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, in the Group 2 Victory Stakes ( 1200m) at the Gold Coast.
He then will consider him as his ride in the Group 1 double of the BTC Cup and the Stradbroke Handicap.
Oliver is delighted with his form, but not recent results. He was pipped on Wandjina by Jim Cassidy on Dissident in last Saturday’s Sydney carnival final Group 1, the All Aged Stakes.
“I just couldn’t snare one in Sydney, although I finished in the placings a lot. You go where the good horses are in the good races, and that’s the carnivals, and then come home in between. Like almost every year, I’m away from March to June in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.
“The prizemoney is good and it is hard not to go where there are Group 1 races on offer,” he said.
“I’d love to notch a 10th Melbourne premiership but I also have to chase the big events. I’m sure Craig and Dwayne are in the same boat.
“I won the title last year, along with the Scobie Breasley Medal, when I missed three months of the season because of suspension and overseas and interstate assignments, so it can be done.
“However there is plenty of competition this season. Craig is not going to Japan and Dwayne is more likely to be available more in Melbourne than head interstate. It will be a tough challenge,” Oliver said.
Oliver, who notched his 100th Group 1 success when piloting Fiorente to victory in the 2013 Melbourne Cup, sits alongside only George Moore, Roy Higgins and Jim Cassidy with more than a century at the elite level.
He completed the Grand Slam of Australian racing in 2007 when he rode Forensics to victory in the Golden Slipper, adding to his three Melbourne Cups, four Caulfield Cups and two Cox Plates.
The winner of the coveted Breasley Medal seven times also will partner Arabian Gold in the $ 358,000 Hollindale Stakes ( 1800m) at the Gold Coast.
Of the dozen Group 1 races remaining this season, Oliver has won three Australasian Oaks in SA, one Robert Sangster Stakes, one SA Derby, one Doomben Cup, two Doomben 10,000s, one Stradbroke Handicap and one Queensland Derby.
I’d love to
notch a 10th Melbourne premiership but I also have to chase
the big events