3 minute read
When Brock Ryan partnered Jamaea in her first jump out down at Nowra he told co-trainers Robert and Luke Price the filly had Group 1 ability.
It wasn't a throwaway line. And so it's fitting the in-form apprentice will be in the saddle chasing that Group 1 win on Jamaea in the $1m XXXX Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Ryan has sat the week out through suspension so it's given him a little bit of time to get excited about the slice of history awaiting a filly he will ride with confidence.
"There's a little bit of nerves there but that's to be expected,'' he said.
"It's surreal, it's one of those cool and fascinating stories you hear about other people.
"I pretty much said from the moment I gave her a quiet jump out at Nowra, I came back to Rob and Luke and said this could be your Golden Slipper horse. A few people laughed at me.
"Luke and Rob had a bit of faith in what I said, it turned out she could have got a run in the Golden Slipper that prep but they didn't go that way. But she proved me right."
Forensics is the only filly to win the Golden Rose, and 41 have tried, but that was in the equine influenza-affected season and the race was run in the autumn of 2008. No filly has won the race in its traditional spot in the spring.
Champagne Cuddles is the last to figure in the finish running second in 2017 having placed in the Silver Shadow, Furious and Tea Rose Stakes. Jamaea has her shot on the back of a dazzling win in the Furious (1200m) three weeks ago.
So history is one hurdle facing Jamaea at Rosehill. Another is the hype around the Godolphin colt Anamoe.
"Obviously there have been big raps on the boys and they are the benchmark, and people are saying the fillies are just so-so,'' Ryan said.
"But watching those last couple of lead ups I don't think they've gone out and blown everyone away. If you look at her win the other day, and the sectionals she ran, she put her hand up to go to that next level and match it with the boys.
"I think she is just a genuine chance."
In winning the Furious, according to Punter's Intelligence sectional data Jamaea clocked a last 600m of 33.26 and last 200m of 11.42 (both two lengths faster than the next quickest) as she burst home from last.
Since then she's had an exhibition gallop with Ryan in the saddle at Kembla Grange last Thursday with Luke Price completing her work during this week.
After drawing a middle barrier in the Golden Rose, Ryan is content that it will allow him to ride the filly a little more forward than she was in the Furious.
"I felt like in that last gallop, and I feel like I say it all the time, she had gone to another level and she felt the best she's ever felt. And she looks the part too,'' he said.
"When she draws in she can get cluttered up on the fence and too far back, which you don't want against the colts.
"They will go along at a nice gallop and she should be one off the fence, and with a bit of cover, and she will get her chance."
The 27-year-old has ridden in three Group 1 races previously and they've each started $101.
There might be a little 'a' against Brock Ryan's name but he doesn't see himself as an apprentice, if not for injuries he would have completed his apprenticeship by now and he's already bagged two Group 2 races this spring.
"I know it's a Group 1 and it's a big pressure race but I've been riding in town for going on four years against these jockeys,'' he said.
"I just have to look at it that way. You ride every single race with these guys, you know how they ride, I know you can't just treat it like another race but that's how you've got to look at it."
Away from Jamaea, Ryan reunites with Chat in the Group 2 $200,000 Ned Whisky Shannon Stakes (1500m) and he's adamant Cuban Royale can bounce back to his best in the $100,000 Midway Handicap (1300m).
He's prepared to forgive Cuban Royale's eighth placing behind Geist at Randwick two weeks ago and is confident a good track will bring out his best.
"He was on the worst part of the track on the inside and as soon as he came off the bridle he just went 'no, I don't like this','' he said.
"He's still flying at the track, he looks enormous and back to a Midway race he should be very hard to beat. All his runs this prep have been really good so I'd just forget about last start and go off his couple of runs before that."
