Origin jockeys race for bragging rights
THE UBET Origin jockey series will be expanded to seven teams in a revamped format for this year’s summer carnival when Jim Byrne and Matt McGillivray have been chosen to fly the flag for Queensland.
Tasmania will be included in the series, with Craig Newitt heading north with his state teammate Brendon McCoull, while South African Robbie Fradd will lead a new “All Stars” team.
The other teams vying for Origin supremacy are NSW (Michael Rodd and Tye Angland), Victoria (Luke Nolen and Clare Lindop), South Australia (Dwayne Dunn and Jamie Kah) and New Zealand (Damian Browne and Larry Cassidy).
As opposed to the past two years, this series will be staged across the one weekend, at Doomben on December 8-9, before the decider at Caloundra on Sunday, December 10. Two Origin races will be held on each day.
McGillivray only recently came out of his apprenticeship and he has rocketed to third on the state premiership as a senior.
“Obviously, this is a really good opportunity to ride against some of the best jockeys in Australia,” he said.
“I am really looking forward to getting out there and testing my skills against these guys.”
Racing Queensland chief executive Eliot Forbes said some of the best jockeys in the country had expressed an interest in the series in which the winner will receive the Waterford Crystal Origin Jockey Trophy.
Quality sprinter Monsieur Gustave set the platform for his Magic Millions race day target with a dominant win in the Listed Keith Noud Quality at Ipswich yesterday.
Monsieur Gustave won the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich and the Glasshouse Handicap on the Sunshine Coast at the end of the winter carnival and he returned in similar form yesterday, leading all the way under Tiffani Brooker to beat Upstart Pride.
“I really liked his last 50m. He really put them away,” trainer Darryl Hansen said.
“Tiff rides him well and we will be sticking with her over the summer.”
Monsieur Gustave will run next in Saturday week’s George Moore and then the Lough Neagh a fortnight later. Hansen then has the option of The Buffering on December 30 or waiting for the Magic Millions Cup on January 13.