Lightly raced mare It’s A Knockout will bypass Rosehill this weekend and instead line up in the Coffs Harbour Cup. Despite her absence, Ciaron Maher will still have solid representation at Sydney’s season-opening metropolitan meeting.
The four-year-old was an acceptor for Saturday’s National Jockeys Trust Handicap (1500m), but Maher’s Sydney foreman Johann Gerard-Dubord confirmed that connections had opted to send her north for Friday’s 1600m feature.
“It’s her ideal trip, and being a Big Dance qualifier makes it very appealing,” Gerard-Dubord said. “She’s drawn nicely, so she will head there.”
Gerard-Dubord admitted he would have preferred an extra week between runs but felt the mare was well-placed. “Three weeks between runs is a little tighter than I’d like, but she’s very good fresh, and she’s nicely weighted. It looks a suitable race for her,” he said.
While It’s A Knockout won’t run at Rosehill, stablemate Spaceballs will take her place in Saturday’s Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1500m) from a favourable draw.
The filly was scratched from a 1400m race on the same program after drawing poorly but has been fitted with blinkers following a wayward display at Newcastle last start when narrowly beaten.
“She cost herself the win last start after hitting the front,” Gerard-Dubord said. “The blinkers have really sharpened her up at trackwork. While stepping up in trip with the headgear is a small question mark, she’s been a different horse in her work.”
Saturday’s 10-race Rosehill program marks the first Sydney metropolitan meeting of the new racing season, beginning August 1.