Chris Parnham will be chasing his biggest race win in the P B Lawrence Stakes on a horse that has already provided him with career highlights.

Parnham moved from Perth to base himself in Victoria early this year and in that time has ridden four stakes winners, including three at Group Three level.

Two of those Group Three wins for the 18-year-old have been on the Wez Hunter-trained Smokin’ Joey at Caulfield, including an impressive Bletchingly Stakes victory last month.

Parnham and Smokin’ Joey combine again in Saturday’s Group Two P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) which has attracted a field of nine including ex-Hong Kong galloper Dibayani, the Gai Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge and dual Group Two winner Mourinho.

Along with the Group Three wins on Smokin’ Joey, Parnham also partnered the gelding to a second in Futurity Stakes which was the jockey’s first placing in a Group One.

“He (Smokin’ Joey) has given me two Group Three winners so he’s been a really good horse to me and I’m just hoping that he can run well again on Saturday,” Parnham said.

“He has drawn barrier three which is probably not ideal for him, but I’d say he would be getting off-pace and I’ll be bringing him out wide and he should be hitting the line strongly.”

The eight-year-old gelding resumed from a let-up after a Queensland winter campaign to win the Bletchingly (1200m) by two lengths.

“We thought he would run well but probably not that well. He won easily,” Parnham said.

“If he can produce the same performance as last time he should be right in it.”

Sydney-based Kerrin McEvoy will ride Doncaster Prelude winner Excess Knowledge in his first-up start in the weight-for-age race while Noel Callow will be aboard Tasmanian galloper The Cleaner who is also first-up.

The P B Lawrence Stakes is one of four stakes races on the Caulfield card along with the Group Three Quezette Stakes, the Group Three Vain Stakes and the Listed Regal Roller Stakes.

AAP TURF mt/ptj

Article from justhorseracing.com.au