Rejuvenated jockey Jim Cassidy has been called up to ride Sebring Sun in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Rejuvenated jockey Jim Cassidy has been booked to ride Sebring Sun in the Golden Rose Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Cassidy has only been back riding a couple of weeks after a recovering from a hamstring injury which forced him to miss the end of the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
But the veteran jockey was quick to regain winning form with a winner on the Chris Waller trained Loophole on August 22.
Trainer Gary Portelli had booked Hong Kong based Zac Purton to ride Sebring Sun in the Golden Rose Stakes but the premiership winning jockey has been ruled out for two weeks after fracturing a bone and tearing ligaments in his right ankle as a result of being kicked by another horse at last Wednesday’s Hong Kong barrier trials.
Portelli then turned to Cassidy to give him a chance to win another Golden Rose Stakes after he took out the $1m race for the three year olds on Zoustar for Chris Waller in 2013.
Purton was disappointed to miss the chance to ride at the Golden Rose Stakes meeting at Rosehill on Saturday after being ruling out by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and was also forced to miss the opening two meetings of the Hong Kong racing season.
The top jockey said that he was feeling fine but would listen to the club’s doctor and have a fortnight off.
“If it was up to me, I’d be back riding at the trials on Saturday, let alone Sunday – I feel that good,” Purton told the South China Morning Post.
“But the scan says otherwise, so I have to listen to the advice of the doctors and rest it.
“It’s really disappointing. I had good rides on Sunday and the following week as well and I was hoping to start (the Hong Kong season) with a bang.”
Portelli always held a high opinion of Sebring Sun during his juvenile year and he realised that potential with a win at his last start as a two year old in a 1200m Canterbury maiden on July 29 with Bowman aboard.
Sebring Sun then made it two wins on the trot with a one length victory for Brenton Avdulla in the Listed $100,000 The Rosebud (1200m) at Randwick on August 8 before running third with Hugh Bowman again to Shards in the Group 3 $125,000 Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on August 22.
Sebring Sun has drawn barrier seven in a small field of nine with the Peter Moody trained Gold Symphony drawing the inside gate with Tommy Berry to ride.
