Melbourne’s champion jockey Damien Oliver will be the new rider on unbeaten filly Frondeur in the Group 2 $200,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Damien Oliver, above, is the new rider on Frondeur in the 2020 Autumn Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Oliver will be the third jockey on Frondeur from as many starts after Dean Holland was aboard for her debut win in a 1211m Moe three year old Fillies Maiden in August and Zac Spain got the job down in winning a 1200m BenchMark 64 Handicap at Pakenham on January 16.
“Zac makes way for D. Oliver, but anyway, Zac is one of our jockeys and we put him on some nice horses … I feel guilty there, don’t I?” Price told racing.com at Sandown on Tuesday morning.
“She’s got a little black-type factor about her, I reckon, just working her. She worked on the course proper (at Caulfield) this morning, Ollie rode her.
“She’s a good Kiwi filly that I think is black type. We gave her one run on a Heavy track, tipped her out, she had enough and then one run the other day and she was very good.”
Frondeur takes a slight step up in distance in the Autumn Stakes on her two previous wins but Price can see the filly handling it with ease.
“I can’t wait till she gets to 1400m, a mile and we can ride a proper race on her,” Price said.
Pre-post betting for the Autumn Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Frondeur marked at $12 while the Danny O’Brien trained Banquo has been listed as the $4 favourite just ahead of James Cummings’ Group 1 winner Microphone at $5.
Early betting for the 2020 Autumn Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Banquo, $5 Microphone, $6 Adelaide Ace, Alabama Express, $8 Savvy Lad, $8.50 Rubisaki, $9 Groundswell, Warning, $12 Frondeur, $15 The Holy One, $17 Wedgetail, Zero Doubt, $19 Wilmot Pass, $21 Legion Of Merit, $31 Diode, Lady Lupino, $61 Dynamic Duo.
