Hong Kong ace Douglas Whyte will be the first choice rider for Western Australian sensation Scales Of Justice when he lines up in the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Scales Of Justice ran second to Stratum Star, above, in the 2016 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot in Perth, Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Whyte has ridden Scales Of Justice on two occasions at Ascot in Perth for a win in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) during the 2016 Perth Summer Carnival followed by a controversial second to Stratum Star two weeks later in the Group 1 $1m Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic (1800m).

Scales Of Justice was beaten by the narrowest of margins in the Kingston Town Classic and stewards suspended Whyte for a month for failing to ride his mount out to the line but trainer Lindsey Smith said that the Hong Kong based jockey will still have first refusal for the mount over the Spring.

“The Melbourne riding engagements will depend on Douglas’ Hong Kong commitments,” Smith told The West Australian.

Smith has selected the Group 1 $500,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 1 as Scales Of Justice’s first Melbourne Spring Carnival assignment before stepping up to the 1600m of the Group 1 $500,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield again two weeks later.

Scales Of Justice has had three recent runs at Belmont for a first up second to Rock Magic in Group 3 $150,000 Belmont Sprint (1400m) at Belmont in Perth on June 3 followed by a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Hyperion Stakes (1600m) two weeks later.

The Not A Single Doubt five year old then kept his winning momentum going a fortnight later with a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Strickland Stakes (2000m).

Scales Of Justice has won $1,357,450 in prizemoney from nine wins, seven seconds and one third from seventeen starts.