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Top Victorian rider Mark Pegus will fly to Western Australia to ride in the $80,000 Broome Cup on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Pegus has answered a call from Darwin trainer Michael Hickmott to ride his stayer Agarkar.
The choice of Pegus to ride Agarkar is a result of the successful association the jockey had with former Darwin galloper Right Fong last season as both horses share the same ownership.
Pegus rode Right Fong in the Perth Cup and won the Port Adelaide Cup on that horse.
Agarkar is also part-owned by former Australian Test cricketer Simon O'Donnell. He was named after Indian all-rounder Ajit Agarkar.
Hickmott, a dual Darwin Cup-winning trainer, is making his first assault on the Broome Cup (2200m).
Hickmott, only 22, won successive Darwin Cups with General Market in 2007 and Activation in 2008.
Pegus will also ride Agarkar's stablemate Crosswise in Saturday's $35,000 Broome Sprint (1300m).
Hickmott arrived in Broome last weekend with his two horses after travelling by road from Darwin, a distance of more than 1500km.
The trip took three days with two overnight stops in Katherine and Kununurra.
It is the first time Hickmott has taken horse to WA.
Hickmott set Agarkar for the Broome Cup two months ago and has given him two lead up runs in Darwin, finishing second over 1900m on July 31 at his second run back.
