Pickin’ Time has done plenty wrong during her racing career to date, but jockey Glen Boss is hoping that the talented filly can put it all together in the 2014 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield on Sunday.
Pickin' Time finished second behind Thinking Of You in the TMB Printing Handicap at Caulfield on September 20. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Pickin’ Time was beaten as a short price favourite in her two starts as a juvenile and she returned to racing with an unlucky fourth in the Telstra Phonewords Plate (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 6 before she overraced when second in the TMB Printing Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20.
Boss told Racing Ahead that nothing went right for Pickin’ Time in the TMB Printing Handicap and the leading hoop is confident that the Fastnet Rock filly can finally live up to her potential and record a maiden race win in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) this weekend.
“She lost no admirers the other week,” Boss said.
“First-up at the Valley gave us no feedback at all and she felt lost, but I still thought she ran ok and then she got to Caulfield and did a lot work.
“She jumped and got into an ok position with cover and when the pace came off by half a second or so she didn’t react very well and she wanted to keep going that same speed.
“I got popped out and she was too strong for me, she ended up towing me forward into the run and she was near the lead at the top of the straight.
“300 metres out I was hitting the front and that is certainly not ideal and I didn’t really want that.
“The filly that beat her looks very good, I think it was a good form race and I think she has beautiful ability.
“Hopefully with blinkers off I will be able to show people what she is capable of.
“She does some things on the track that only very good horses do, but she just hasn’t had the opportunity to do it on raceday.
“Hopefully on Sunday you will see a very good filly.”
Pickin’ Time is currently available at 2014 Thousand Guineas Prelude odds of $8.50 and is on the fourth line of betting at Ladbrokes Australia behind Golden Slipper placegetter Bring Me The Maid ($2.80), Queensland filly Traveston Girl ($5) and Robert Smerdon-trained Lumosty ($6).
Boss is chasing his first win in the Thousand Guineas Prelude since he took out the 2009 edition of the race with Irish Lights.
