3 minute read
On Tuesday morning Victorian jockey Linda Meech rode the Maher and Eustace trained Thought Of That in trackwork to be advised after the work that she was being replaced by Mark Zahra for the $1.5m , Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
On Wednesday Meech spoke out.
Meech won the $35,000, BRB Electrical 3YO Bm64 Handicap (1300m) at Bendigo with the Ellerton and Zahra trained Redoute's Choice filly Oasis Girl .
Immediately after the win Meech commented to Racing.com.
"I will not let it get to me. It was a bit disappointing, I know they wanted a Group 1 winning jockey but Mark Zahra has had 252 rides in Group 1's and I have had 23 for one win and he has had 15, but I think if you are any good at maths you will work out that he has probably had more opportunities, but his strike rate is pretty bad as mine," said Meech.
"It is just one of those things. They are smart enough to stick with the big guns but I hope he gets beat.
"I would like to say (thank you) to all my close friends who have sent me messages and especially to my manager and good friend of mine Sally Gordon. I rang her yesterday and she said about The Autumn Sun when they took James McDonald off so I suppose it happens to everyone," she said.
Meech had ridden the So You Think colt in his last three starts winning the last two including a 3 3/4L dominant win in the Group 3 Norman Robinson Stakes over 2000m at Caufield on October 19th.
The decision was that of the owners who were looking for a Group 1 jockey. Considerable comment followed on social media including from fellow jockey Michelle Payne who heavily criticised the decision for which she was fined $1,000 by Racing Victoria stewards' on Wednesday.
"You are entitled to an opinion. You are not entitled to challenge the right of an owner to make that decision," managing owner Brae Sokolski told RSN927's Racing Pulse on Wednesday morning.
Meech, who has 13 Melbourne wins this season to-date, won the Group 1 2015 Coolmore Classic on Plucky Belle.
Wednesday's win on Oasis Girl was the filly's second in succession after earlier winning at Seymour over 1300m on October 20th.
"She was great, she took a little bit to get into it there. They went at a good clip early but it put us up in a good spot. I watched her win the other day at Seymour and she was a bit the same as today, she wound up though her gears and she could not have been more impressive. I thought she was pretty impressive today," she said.
Oasis Girl by a 1/2L over Rocking Eagle (Zoustar) and William Pike with Sea Dragon (Statue Of Liberty) and Luke Nolen third a further 1 1/4L back.
