Waller sees light in Jag
LEADING Queensland apprentice Jag GuthmannChester has a rare opportunity to ride for champion trainer Chris Waller at Doomben.
Waller usually books senior jockeys for his horses in Queensland but has decided to use Guthmann-Chester’s 2kg claim on Religify tomorrow.
Religify has been handicapped with 63kg in the Open Handicap (1640m).
The gelding is a multiple stakes winner and rated 11 points higher than the next best horse in the race.
Waller’s Gold Coast stable manager Paul Shailer said Religify had earned his big weight in tomorrow’s race.
“We usually don’t use apprentices on our horses up here but with that type of weight we don’t have much choice,” Shailer said.
“Jag has been in good form and he is experienced.
“Religify is second-up and a few kilos off will help him.
“Provided he can get across near the lead and the track is dry he should be ready to fire.”
Religify won the Prime Minister’s Cup, Wayne Wilson Memorial, and Mumm Stakes last winter.
He had only two starts in the spring with seconds in the Group 2 Weekend Hussler Stakes and Group 2 Waterford Crystal Mile in Melbourne.
He missed the early part on the Queensland winter carnival with a setback and finished well beaten in the Eye Liner Handicap on June 16 at Ipswich at his first run back after two barrier trials in Sydney.
“Religify is suited up here and he is probably better than these on Saturday at his best,” he said.
Guthmann-Chester is leading the Brisbane metropolitan apprentices premiership in a season which has been truncated for him by injury.
He has ridden 22 metropolitan winners and sits in ninth place overall in the jockeys premiership behind multiple champion Jeff Lloyd (105).