Top Adelaide jockey Jason Holder has been recalled to ride the in-form Red Eclipse in the Listed $100,000 Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.
Jason Holder is back aboard Red Eclipse, above, in the Penny Edition Stakes at Morphettville Parks. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Holder was aboard the Grant Young trained Red Eclipse when he won two starts back over 1250m in a BenchMark 82 Handicap at Morphettville Parks on August 1.
Then Sigrid Carr was called up to ride Red Eclipse in the Group 3 $120,000 David Coles AM Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on August 8 when Holder took the ride on the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas trained Daytona Grey.
But the scratching of Daytona Grey eventually saw Holder ride Stimulate who finished in tenth position behind Red Eclipse who scored an upset win in the Group 3 weight for age race.
Young found it hard to replace Carr but made the hard decision to put Holder back in the saddle for the Penny Edition Stakes.
“We have pencilled in Jason Holder, he will go back on him again,” Young told Racing Ahead.
“It was a tough decision to sort of make to take Sigrid off.”
“Jason had ridden him in his three previous wins and I think he has taught the horses how to win a little bit.”
“He hopped off to ride one of his old boss’s horses, Leon Macdonald, and I understand. He has a good association with Leon, he rides a lot of work him and what not.”
“If he got off for anyone else, look he probably would not have got a look in, but because he got off for Leon Macdonald, I’ve offered the ride back to him and I am happy that he has taken it.”
Young is keen to see how Red Eclipse handles the step up to 1400m with the view of considering a trip to Melbourne over the Spring Carnival.
“This is why we have gone to the seven furlongs. I am of the opinion that to race in Melbourne he really has to go to the seven furlongs because they are probably going to run him off his legs over there just because of the stronger tempo early.”
“So if he can get a solid seven furlongs for us Saturday we may look at something in the Spring for him.”
Red Eclipse will be taking on some tough opponents in the Penny Edition Stakes including Cox Plate hopeful Alpine Eagle, Adelaide’s top sprinter Riziz and Group 1 winner Go Indy Go who will appreciate the step up to the 1400m.
