Country hoops hold their own down the Flemington straight

Victoria's best country jockeys proved they could mix it with the best in town at Sunday's Rapid Racing meeting at Flemington.

The new initiative, featuring seven races all down the Flemington straight, run from 4pm to 7pm was vastly different from other race meetings in that horses were randomly assigned jockeys from metropolitan and country teams.

Straight bet: Jockey Jason Maskiell after riding Excess Funds to victory in race 3, the Tick Homes Plate, during the Twilight Races at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.Credit:AAP

Lesser names Dean Holland, Jarrod Fry and Jason Maskiell won the first three races at the pop-up meeting and the country teams more than held their own on the leaderboard, where the first four riders were allocated points, with double points up for grabs in the final race.

Maskiell, who has turned his life around after beating an ice addiction, knocked back the chance to ride in stakes races in Tasmania in favour of riding at headquarters in the hope of opening more doors for his career.

"After my little mishap, I haven't had the opportunities like I used to and to finally get rides on a day like today and deliver, it's good," he said.

"It's very hard for us country boys to try and get rides in the city and when we do get an opportunity, we try and grab it with both hands.

City limits: Jockey Ben Melham rides Chicago Cub to victory in race 5, the Qms Sprint.Credit:AAP

"We're on display today and hopefully trainers take a little bit more of a look at us country jocks."

Holland said the country jockeys proved they could match it with Victoria's best city riders.

"I think we all know we've all nearly been riding as long as each other and I think country jockeys can definitely match it with the city jockeys, it's just we probably don't get the city opportunities," he said.

"If they did it again next year, the only thing I'd probably add is give the owners the chance to wear their colours but other than that I think it's a great concept."

Home straight: Mark Zahra rides Explicitly to a win in race 4, the JMK Sprint.Credit:Getty Images

Country jockeys wore white silks while the metropolitan riders wore blue, differed only by the colour of their sleeves.

Trainers Ben Hayes and Robbie Griffiths both said they enjoyed the twilight meeting, but would go back to normal silks if the initiative was trialled again.

Hayes actually scratched Minhaaj from the two-year-old race because owners Shadwell Stud Australia wanted their colours on display.

"The owner only wants racing in his colours," Hayes said.

"I would have loved it if she could have run but we obviously couldn't and you have to respect the owner's decision.

"I think the concept is really good.

"The only thing I would change is the colours. I think it gets a bit confusing for the trainers as well, watching the horses. I had three in one race and you have to learn all the new colours, but apart from that, I think it's fantastic."

Holland, who won on the Wylie Dalziel-owned Aquagirl in the first race, also said the owners deserved to have their silks in the winning photo.

The VRC forecast for a crowd of 4000 and surpassed that, with a young crowd taking advantage of the warm Sunday afternoon conditions.

The meeting also gave owners of benchmark-64 and 70 races the chance to win a race at Flemington.

VRC chief executive Neil Wilson the day had met expectations, six days out from its group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes meeting.

"We've got our core racing of course, the wonderful headline races that we have, but surrounding that we want to create an environment where there are new audiences, new people on track," he told racing.com.

"We're really pleased today. There are a lot of families around and the racing's been fantastic, and the jockeys have really embraced it."

Griffiths said the VRC and Racing Victoria deserved credit for trying something different.

"I think any concept is great because if nothing changes, nothing changes. You've got to have a crack," he said.

The city team beat the country jocks in the final race when Craig Williams steered his mount Delusions to a final race win worth double points.

Source: Read Full Article