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Veteran Perth jockey Peter Hall will chasing Group One wins in Melbourne this spring following his booking for the WA-owned star Trap For Fools.
Owner Geoff Evans has booked 52-year-old Hall to ride the Jarrod Mclean-trained Trap For Fools in his coming Melbourne races that could lead to a start in the $5 million WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October.
Trap For Fools, a G1 winner last season of the Mackinnon Stakes over 2000m at Flemington when ridden by John Allen, started his spring campaign with a first-up ninth in the PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) won by Mystic Journey at Caulfield on August 17.
Evans required a new jockey for Trap For Fools after Allen committed to the spring rides on dual G1 winner Kenedna , a likely rival for Trap For Fools in his coming races.
A start in the Cox Plate will depend on the form Trap For Fools displays in the G2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) and G1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) in Melbourne.
Hall said the opportunity to ride Trap For Fools at the Melbourne carnival was a bonus at this late stage of his career.
"It's a little bit surreal, I'm very privileged," Hall told the West Australian.
"If Trap For Fools performs well in the Feehan and Underwood hopefully I can stay with him for the Cox Plate."
Hall has ridden more than 1500 winners including more than 40 Group and Listed races during his long career. They include G1 wins on Delicacy in the Australasian Oaks and SA Derby in Adelaide and three Perth Cups on Black Tom, Delicacy and Star Exhibit.
Hall rode his first Perth Cup winner Black Tom in the 2007 Melbourne Cup and is known as the country cups king of WA with multiple wins in the Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, Pinjarra Esperance, Albany and Northam Cups on his record.
He has ridden successfully in Mauritius and last month won the Darwin Cup on Itsahymn.
Hall faces a busy week as he wil travel to Melbourne for the Feehan Stakes meeting at Moonee Valley on Saturday and wil be back in WA on Sudnay to ride at the Coolgardie Cup meeting in Kalgoorlie on Sunday.
Hall may also be riding the good Perth winner Great Again at the Melbourne carnival if his connections press ahead with an interstate trip after his win in Saturday's Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes at Belmont Park.
