Brisbane’s leading apprentice Jimmy Orman has been called up to ride Messene in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Apprentice Jimmy Orman will ride Messene in the Doomben Cup at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Orman will take over from Blake Shinn who rode the Team Hawkes trained Messene to an all the way win in the Listed $150,000 2016 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) at Wagga Wagga on May 6.
“It is a real honour to get a ride for the Hawkes training team. Messene looks a genuine chance,” Orman told AAP.
The Wagga Wagga Gold Cup was the first race Messene hasn’t won for over two years with his last visit to the winner’s circle being in the Group 2 $175,000 Hyland Race Colours Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
The Lonhro seven year old’s form has been up and down in recent times with two seconds at Rosehill over the Sydney Autumn Carnival in the Group 3 $350,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m) on March 12 and in the Group 3 $150,000 The Daily Telegraph Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) on March 26.
The front running gelding then finished tenth of thirteen to Guardini in Group 3 $150,000 Sharp Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 16.
Orman is currently running third in a tight three way tussle at the top of the Brisbane jockey’s premiership table on fifty-eight wins, one and a half behind leader Jim Byrne on fifty-nine and a half and one win behind second placed Jeff Lloyd on fifty-nine.
The young rider had his first taste of Group 1 racing last Saturday at Doomben when he rode the Joe Pride trained Target In Sight into sixth place behind Malaguerra in the Group 1 $500,000 BTC Cup (1200m).
Team Hawkes also plans to run Leebaz in the Doomben Cup after the six year old made it back to back wins in the Group 2 $358,000 All-New Jaguar F-Pace A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 7.
Jockey Michael Cahill has been booked to ride Leebaz in the Doomben Cup and is confident he will be fit to take the mount after having a heavy tumble from Artlee just after the line in the BTC Cup.
Messene is marked as s $13 chance in early betting for the Doomben Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au while Leebaz is just ahead of him at $10.
Early market order for the Doomben Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.80 Hauraki, $5 It’s Somewhat, $6 Raw Impulse, Volkstok’N’Barrell, $7 Spiritjim, $9 Noble Protector, $10 Leebaz, $13 Messene, Our Ivanhowe, $15 Lady Le Fay, Maurus, $17 Junoob, $41 Honey Toast, $101 Shotover River.
