Chris Waller, who was impressed with Douglas Whyte’s ride on Junoob to place seventh in the 2014 Caulfield Cup, has once again engaged the 13-time champion Hong Kong jockey.
Champion Hong Kong jockey Douglas Whyte has scored the ride on Moriarty in the 2014 Kingston Town Classic. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Whyte will ride Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) favourite Moriarty in the feature race this Saturday at Ascot Racecourse.
Nash Rawiller, who rode the six-year-old gelding to third place in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) last Saturday, was suspended last Wednesday night at Happy Valley which led Waller to offer Whyte the ride.
“Chris was really taken by the professionalism and commitment Douglas exhibited on Caulfield Cup. It was a seamless decision,” stable racing manager Liam Prior told TVN.
Moriarty is $4.60 favourite in the Kingston Town Classic betting market at Ladbrokes.com.au, ahead of 2014 Railway Stakes first and second Elite Belle ($5) and Balmont Girl ($7).
This will not be Whyte’s first run in the Perth Summer Racing Carnival. He rode subsequent 2014 Perth Cup winner Black Tycoon to victory in last year’s Listed Tattersall’s Cup (2100m) at Ascot.
Waller himself will be keen for victory in the 2014 Kingston Town Classic seeing as a win would make him the country’s leading Group One trainer for another year. The Kingston Town Classic would make it an even ten.
“Moriarty nearly pulled off the impossible in the Railway with a big weight and goes back to weight for age for the Kingston Town and the extra 200 metres suits,” Waller said via Sky Racing.
“He has been a great horse for his owners and has won them more than a million dollars.”
Moriarty carried 57kg in the Railway Stakes, just one kilogram less than that of top weight The Cleaner.
The gelding won just one of his six starts during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) however he turned it around in his first tilt in Perth, finishing less than one length off the win in the Railway Stakes despite jumping from barrier 15.
The Kingston Town Classic final field will be released later this week, with Waller hopeful of a more inside gate.
Get your bets in at Ladbrokes.com.au before the prices shorten.
