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Trainer Garry Frazer has confirmed a riding switch for his stable star Spright when she chases the final Group One race of the season at Eagle Farm on Saturday week.
Michael Cahill will partner the Hawkesbury-trained mare in the $500,000 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m), replacing Glen Boss.
Boss rode Spright when she finished a luckless fourth to Trekking in last Saturday’s G1 Stradbroke Handicap over the Tiara distance at the same track.
“It’s nothing against Bossy whatsoever and he wanted to stay on her but I booked Michael Cahill for the ride a couple of weeks ago,” Frazer said.
“I’m not one to go back on my word.
“Michael is a first class jockey and knows Spright well. He won the Healy Stakes on her at Doomben 12 months ago.”
Cahill has enjoyed an outstanding winter carnival. He partnered Kiwi sprinter The Bostonian in two G1 wins this winter and was aboard him in the Stradbroke when he slipped on jumping and then could not obtain clear running near the 200m before finishing 11th.
Spright turned in an outstanding performance in the Stradbroke after copping interference at the start, highlighted by stewards who reported she was “severely hampered on jumping”.
She came from 17th at the 400m to finish fourth beaten 3.4 lengths with the winner Trekking recording a track record (1.21.86).
“Bossy felt the interference put Spright three pairs back than where he wanted to be. She would have been right behind Trekking,” Frazer said.
“I’m not saying she would have beaten the winner but she should have run second.”
Spright returned to her Hawkesbury stable on Monday with no ill effects from the Stradbroke run.
Spright will be taken back to Brisbane next Wednesday for the Tatts Tiara where she will return to racing against her own sex at weight-for-age.
She clinched her maiden G1 success in the $600,000 TAB Classic (1200m) against her own sex at Morphettville on May 4 after a run unlucky performances in other feature interstate sprints.
Frazer said the mare’s connections remain keen to get Spright a slot in the $14 millionEverest (1200m) at Randwick in October.
“She will come home and have a break after the Tiara and hopefully we will be able to have a crack at The Everest,” Frazer said.
