Heavyweight apprentice Rory Hutchings will team up again with the Chris Waller trained Amovatio in the Listed $200,000 Emirates Park Scone Cup (1600m) at Scone on Friday.
Rory Hutchings and Amovatio, yellow blinkers, combine above to win the Hawkesbury Gold Cup at Hawkesbury. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hutchings collected his first stakes race for Waller when he brought Amovatio down the outside fence to win the Group 3 $200,000 Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) at Hawkesbury April 30.
Waller then had plans to send Amovatio to Queensland to join his Winter Carnival Team but changed his mind and opted to chase another Cup’s trophy in the standalone metropolitan class meeting at Scone.
“He was originally going to Queensland but it would be arrogant to drive straight past Scone where there is a $200,000 race,” Waller told AAP.
“He has drawn well and is in good form and the race is over a mile (1600m) which suits him.
“He has come through Hawkesbury well so we will see what he can do.”
Hutchings is limited to taking rides at 56kgs and above and will ride Amovatio comfortably at his allocated 59.5kg.
Waller has played a big part in the revival of Hutchings’ career with a stringent monitoring of his weight and daily routine.
“We make him weigh in every morning. Every morning he comes and weighs in in the office,” Waller said.
“And by that time we get a chance to have a quick chat to him as well to make sure he is eating properly and doing everything right.”
And the results are starting to shine through with Hutchings riding five winners since Amovatio’s Hawkesbury Gold Cup victory, including a double for Waller at Rosehill last Saturday on Encosta Line and Sir Bacchus.
Hutchings will let the five year drift back in the field from barrier two and take up his usual racing pattern before making his move on the backmarker approaching the home turn.
Amovatio is up 3kg on his Hawkesbury Gold Cup win and meets runner up Mighty Lucky 1kg worse for beating him by half a length.
Waller will also saddle up last year’s Scone Cup winner Tales Of Grimm who finished seventh to Amovatio in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
Betting for the Scone Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au has Amovatio on the third line at $6.50 with Mighty Lucky behind the James Cummings trained High Midnight at $4.60 and Goldstream from the Kris Lees stable at $6 while Tales Of Grimm is listed as a $10 chance.
High Midnight is the winner of his last two starts with big weights and drops 7kg on his latest win in a 1500m BenchMark Handicap at Rosehill on April 23.
Italian import Goldstream has had one run for the Lees stable and will find the Scone Cup a lot easier than his eighth to English in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 16.
Scone Cup market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.60 High Midnight, $6 Goldstream, $6.50 Amovatio, Mighty Lucky, $10 Tales Of Grimm, $11 Casino Dancer, $12 Sons Of John, $13 Malice, $15 Dances On Stars, $19 Pajaro, $34 Darci Magic, $41 Less Is More, Himalaya Dream, Chrysolaus, $51 Great Esteem, Candelara, Aomen, $61 Kiseki Dane, $71 Kaypers.
