‘THE BEST I’VE RIDDEN’: COAST JOCKEY SETS SIGHTS ON GROUP 1 GLORY
GOLD Coast jockey Ryan Maloney says the best horse he has ridden can help him complete a Victorian raid on the Australian Guineas and deliver his first Group 1 win.
Maloney will ride $3.20 chance Alligator Blood for trainer David Vandyke at Flemington today as both horse and jockey chase their maiden Group 1 win, less than five months after falling agonisingly short in the Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
The pair won the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington a fortnight ago and Maloney said he entered this race even more confident Alligator Blood would get the job done.
“He has ticked over really nicely from the CS Hayes,” Maloney said.
“The main question mark is he going to run a really good strong mile (1600m) against other horses who have already done it but he is a lot more seasoned and the penny has dropped.
“He conserves his energy a lot better than what he used to. I’m a lot more confident going into it than I was at the Caulfield Guineas.
“I have run a couple of thirds and a second in a Group 1 so it would be nice to finally get one.”
New Zealand star Catalyst, who finished second behind Alligator Blood in the CS Hayes, is the $2.50 favourite for the race.
Maloney rode sprint star Nature Strip before the horse went on to win three Group 1
races but the hoop was adamant Alligator Blood was better. “He is the best I have been on,” Maloney said.
“Before him it was Nature Strip but they are just two different horses.
“Nature Strip is a sprinter and can run amazing sectionals while Alligator Blood is certainly the quickest, most adaptable and versatile.
“You can do anything on him. Whereas Nature Strip was very one dimensional, this bloke has that many strings to his bow.
“You can put him wherever in a race and win over various distances.”
Maloney arrived in Melbourne on Monday and was more than happy with how Alligator Blood was looking before the run.
“I rode him in trackwork all week … I like being on his back every morning and making sure he is in the right head space and he is feeling right,” he said.
“I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. It’s his second go at a mile but he is ready to go.”