Lowry pleased to be back on Patrick Erin
JOCKEY Jacob Lowry will reunite with one of his favourites at Wingatui tomorrow.
The 22yearold will be back on board Patrick Erin, the 9yrold gelding who will have his first run for nearly six months.
For Lowry, it has been a lowkey return to the saddle after Covid19 restrictions but this will be a highlight.
Patrick Erin spent two seasons in Australia but returned home just under a year ago.
‘‘He had a couple of runs last season before the lockdown where he had to be turned out. He will need the run on Sunday,’’ Lowry said.
‘‘He was going all right but had a bit of a setback. He slipped a bit in his paddock and that caused him to miss a bit of work. But he is 100% now.’’
Trainers Brian and Shane Anderton have Patrick Erin aimed at the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in November.
Patrick Erin is topweight tomorrow on 62kg but Lowry is confident the horse can handle it. The most recent start for Patrick Erin was the Hororata Cup in March when he finished out of the money. The 1400m may be a tad short .
The plan while the gelding was in Australia was to make the field for the Melbourne Cup. He never made the cut but picked up some impressive placings before it was decided to bring the horse home.
Lowry has had a quiet start to the new season and is looking to get back into some serious race riding over the next few weeks. He has four rides tomorrow.
Weight and keeping it off has been an issue for Lowry of late.
‘‘I’m a big fella for the skeleton I have. The thing is it is not hard for me to fill out. I’m weighing around 60.5kg and 61kg and hoping to get down to 58.5kg.’’
Lowry missed race days last season as he had issues with his weight and last year was his lowest number of rides since he first came on the scene in 2013.
He spends plenty of time at saunas and spas along with working out at gyms.
‘‘I’m a bit bigger than your average jockey so I just have to work harder.’’
Lowry is keen to get back into the saddle but continues to work at White Robe Lodge alongside the Andertons learning more about the trade.
The Andertons have plenty of horses starting on their home track and Patrick Erin’s stablemate, Our Teddy Boy, who won at Gore last start, is a chance.
The Andertons will also lineup last start winners Crispin and Slammer in a rating 93 1600m race and the South Otago Cup respectively.
“Crispin and Slammer have both done well since they raced,” Brian Anderton said.
“We nominated Slammer for the cup, but the longterm plan is a race coming up at Christchurch that would qualify him for the Jericho Cup (4600m) in Australia.”
Crispin will be joined in tomorrow’s race by laststart placegetter Raise You Ten, who will be ridden by apprentice jockey Corey Campbell and carrying 55.5kg.
“Raise You Ten has got the best weight he has had in a long time. He has been carrying 62kg in his last couple of starts.
“He ran well the other day and I am expecting him to run a really good race with the weight relief.”
The track was listed as slow yesterday and scattered showers were forecast for tomorrow. — Additional reporting by NZ Racing Desk