Steve Englebrecht is struggling to find a negative about the chances of Our Uncle Archie at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

And that’s good news for the promising stayer’s rider Blake Shinn who can wrest the Sydney jockeys’ premiership lead away from James McDonald during the midweek meeting.

From Our Uncle Archie holding his own in a track gallop against a better-performed stablemate to being ridden by one of Sydney’s in-form jockeys, Englebrecht is convinced the horse has a lot going for him in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap.

Our Uncle Archie will be having his fourth run since contesting the Queensland Derby and Englebrecht says he has the four-year-old close to winning form.

“All his three runs back have been excellent but the best guide for me was his work with Lucky Lucky Lucky on Saturday morning,” Englebrecht said.

“There wasn’t much between them and it was good work.”

Lucky Lucky Lucky has made steady progress through the off-season staying ranks to the point where Englebrecht will give him his chance in the Listed Christmas Cup at Randwick on Saturday.

That level of confidence augers well for the prospects of Our Uncle Archie in a race for horses which haven’t won at city level during the past year.

“He’s in the right race with the right weight and the right conditions,” Englebrecht said. “And he’s got the right jock. He should be pretty competitive, I would think.”

Shinn has been one of the biggest movers on the Sydney jockey’s premiership stable during the past month.

He rode Lucky Lucky Lucky to two recent wins and he stays on Our Uncle Archie after riding the horse to a last-start Canterbury placing.

Shinn has ridden 35-1/2 metropolitan winners this season to be one behind McDonald who will be riding in Hong Kong on Wednesday night.

Shinn has rides in six of the seven Warwick Farm races including barrier trial winner Alucinari as well as Shikra for Godolphin.

Article from justhorseracing.com.au