Three-time John Letts Medal winning jockey Jason Holder is confident Chicago Storm will handle the step up to Listed level and the 1600m journey in next month’s Murray Bridge Gold Cup after grabbing another Morphettville Parks victory on Saturday.
Trainer David Aldridge has always believed Chicago Storm can be a better horse up in class and ridden off a speed, something that wasn’t able to happen on Saturday around the tight turning Morphettville Parks where Holder had the horse in the action early.
“Dave has the Murray Bridge Cup in mind and I think that big track will help him,’’ Holder said.
“If we can ride him a bit more conservative, if we can draw a nice gate, give him cover and hold him up to the last bit and I think he’ll be very competitive,’’ he said.
Alridge has had the Murray Bridge feature as their target this campaign for the horse who has now won six races with eight placings from his 16 starts.
“I think the Murray Ridge track, if we can balance him up and have something to chase down, he’ll be a better horse,’’ Aldridge said.
“This race will top him up nice and he should be cherry ripe in a fortnight,’’ he said.
Chicago Storm was the second leg of a riding double for Holder after getting the well-tried Huggle Time home in the opening, a rare win for the Richard and Chantelle Jolly stable .
Kayla Crowther continued her strong start to the 2023-24 racing season with another riding double winning aboard Big Option for Bordertown trainers James and Lisa Dodgson before richly talented mare Wakajeja produced a big run from the back to record a smart win first-up for the Phillip Stokes stable in the last and potentially book an interstate trip in the process.
“She was very good, she was a much more relaxed sort of horse,’’ Crowther said, having ridden the horse in her previous preparation when under the care of Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea.
“I was weary,’’ Crowther said knowing the horse has enormous potential.
“I needed to see her let down and win, I’m really wrapped with her and very happy for the owners.
“I was a bit worried how far off I was and how wide I was swinging, but just trusted her and was really happy with how she let down,’’ she said.
Callan Murray also landed a double at a price winning with Pricilla’s Choice ($13) for Ros Day early in the day before the Nicole Irwin-trained Eureka’s Victory ($17) claimed the staying event.
AND at Mount Gambier on Sunday, Sairyn Fawke and Victorian jockey Melisa Julius shared riding honours with a double each on the seven race card, the feature, a heat of the Jericho Cup won by Patrick Ryan’s Ferago over the 3150m trip.
