3 minute read

The fortunes of apprentice Jean Van Overmeire are finally taking a turn for the better and the connections of Prime Star have entrusted him with the Randwick Guineas ride.

Trainers Richard and Michael Freedman have given stable apprentice Jean Van Overmeire a vote of confidence by sticking with him to partner Prime Star in the Group One Randwick Guineas. 

Michael Freedman said they were happy to give the young jockey another big race opportunity and felt he had formed a good association with the last-start Hobartville Stakes placegetter. 

"He rode him well in the Hobartville and gave him a good ride from a terrible gate that day," Freedman said. 

"We figured it was only fair he got another opportunity on him and he is actually the last jockey to have won on him." 

Van Overmeire has endured a luckless run with injuries over the past few seasons but he is again hitting his straps after linking with the Freedmans late last year. 

His attitude has impressed the training partners, as has his level of skill. 

"He's had rotten luck with his run of injuries and spending time on the sidelines as a result of that, so he's probably had his career halted a lot by injury over the last several years," Freedman said. 

"But he is a very good rider and he's an extremely hard worker. I think he deserves his opportunities." 

Prime Star's last victory was at Rosehill in August but he has not missed a place in five subsequent starts, four of them in feature races. 

He has again fared poorly in the barrier draw with gate 11 of 13 on Saturday and Freedman admits it makes the three-year-old's task of overturning the tables on unbeaten New Zealander Aegon even harder. 

"He worked well Tuesday and he seems to have held good form but the barrier makes it very tough from there," Freedman said. 

"Aegon looked pretty impressive to me the other day so if he gets a good run from where he's drawn he'd be pretty hard to beat again." 

Trainers Richard and Michael Freedman have given stable apprentice Jean Van Overmeire a vote of confidence by sticking with him to partner Prime Star in the Group One Randwick Guineas. 

Michael Freedman said they were happy to give the young jockey another big race opportunity and felt he had formed a good association with the last-start Hobartville Stakes placegetter. 

"He rode him well in the Hobartville and gave him a good ride from a terrible gate that day," Freedman said. 

"We figured it was only fair he got another opportunity on him and he is actually the last jockey to have won on him." 

Van Overmeire has endured a luckless run with injuries over the past few seasons but he is again hitting his straps after linking with the Freedmans late last year. 

His attitude has impressed the training partners, as has his level of skill. 

"He's had rotten luck with his run of injuries and spending time on the sidelines as a result of that, so he's probably had his career halted a lot by injury over the last several years," Freedman said. 

"But he is a very good rider and he's an extremely hard worker. I think he deserves his opportunities." 

Prime Star's last victory was at Rosehill in August but he has not missed a place in five subsequent starts, four of them in feature races. 

He has again fared poorly in the barrier draw with gate 11 of 13 on Saturday and Freedman admits it makes the three-year-old's task of overturning the tables on unbeaten New Zealander Aegon even harder. 

"He worked well Tuesday and he seems to have held good form but the barrier makes it very tough from there," Freedman said. 

"Aegon looked pretty impressive to me the other day so if he gets a good run from where he's drawn he'd be pretty hard to beat again."