Kah floats on Ayrton
QUEENSLAND’S winter carnival has received a massive boost with star jockey Jamie Kah confirming she will follow Stradbroke favourite Ayrton to the Sunshine State later this month.
With a historic Victorian jockeys’ premiership all but wrapped up, Kah said she was now ready to chase interstate rides with Ayrton top of her list.
It comes as trainer Mick Price says it is “no big deal” if the spruiked threeyear-old doesn’t make the Stradbroke field, insisting he is happy to go to the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) on the same day if need be.
Kah will make the trip to Brisbane on May 29 to ride Ayrton in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) – the day also featuring the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) and Queensland Derby (2400m).
Ayrton was a dominant winner at
Caulfield on Saturday, cruising past his rivals casually in just his third start, showing enough for TAB to slash his Stradbroke odds to $4.
“I said (to Kah) on Saturday ‘ what are you doing?’ and she said ‘yeah, I’m going to Brisbane’ so it’s straightforward,” Price said.
“He is an easy horse to ride, if she doesn’t ride him I am sure someone would, but it is good she is sticking with him.”
Price will this week send a staff member to Brisbane in preparation for Ayrton, who is expected to be stabled with Eagle Farm trainers Steven O’Dea and Matt Hoysted.
While many expect the 77-rater to win the Fred Best and qualify for the Stradbroke on June 12, Price said it is not a case of “win or bust”.
“If he doesn’t go to the Stradbroke, it is no big deal. If he makes it – great, but if not it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “There is the mile race, the Gunsynd Classic (1600m) on the same day so we’d go there all things being well after the Fred Best if he didn’t make the Stradbroke.
“Knowing him, you’d think he would. He has a great constitution, he is a big sound horse who is a mature three-year-old.
“He is now a 77-rater so he needs to win it to get in but we’ll work that out.”
While the Fred Best is run at set weights, the Stradbroke’s handicap conditions could be the only thing stopping Kah from riding Ayrton in the $1.5m feature should he get there.
“It depends on what weight he gets in the Stradbroke if he gets there or not,” Kah told RSN radio.
“I have always said I could do 51kg but I haven’t had to do that for a long time – 52kg is my go-to weight at the minute so hopefully he gets a bit more.”