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Apprentice Tom Sherry will be hunting his first Group 1 win aboard Expat in the Coolmore Classic.
Call it coincidence, but the Coolmore Classic has an uncanny history of delivering career milestones for jockeys and a trio of them are in line to have their names etched in the record books.
In the past 25 years, six riders have celebrated their maiden Group 1 wins in the fillies and mares' feature - Corey Brown aboard Camino Rose in 1999, Kathy O'Hara on Ofcourseican (2012), Linda Meech on Plucky Belle (2015), Sam Clipperton broke his duck on Peeping in 2016 and Andrew Adkins followed suit two years later aboard Daysee Doom.
Tye Angland's 2010 Coolmore Classic success on Alverta also provided him with his maiden Group 1 win in Sydney, 12 months after he took out the Stradbroke Handicap aboard Black Piranha.
Three jockeys will be clamouring to join that elite group on Saturday when apprentice Tom Sherry links with Expat , fellow junior rider Tyler Schiller rides Victorian raider Yes Baby Yes and Quayde Krogh last-start winner Cap Estel.
Mark Newnham is the master of Sherry and Schiller and is also Expat's trainer.
He is well aware of the Coolmore's history, particularly when it comes to emerging young riders and says Sherry, Sydney's reigning champion apprentice, might have found himself in the right race on the right horse.
"It's interesting, this race has provided first Group One wins for quite a few good, young jockeys," Newnham said.
"Tom is a very good young rider.
"He's earned it, I haven't just given it to him. He's got a good association with the mare, and he has ridden her very well in her two stakes wins."
Expat gave Sherry his biggest triumph to date when she captured the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) last start and the form from the race has been franked by the placegetters, with both Belluci Babe and Le Lude subsequently winning black-type races.
With an excellent winning strikerate and superior wet track form, Expat ticks a lot of boxes and Newnham is optimistic she can deliver Sherry a momentous milestone.
"I'm going there with a mare in form, with good Rosehill form, good wet form and a jockey who has got plenty of faith in her," Newnham said.
"We're hopeful."
