Leading jockey Kayla Crowther is faced with a difficult decision ahead of next month’s $120,000 Balaklava Cup.
Crowther has started the 2024-25 season in a blaze with eight winners from just 33 rides, has the pick of two leading contenders - Leon Macdonald Stakes winner Second To Nun and progressive free rolling front runner Sir Kingsford.
She has formed a brilliant partnership with the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea-trained Second To Nun who continued her stunning 2024 winning last weekend’s feature beating Group 1 winner Attrition.
Crowther has ridden the horse on four occasions, she finished fourth in the Listed level C S Hayes Stakes at Morphettville in March, before the pair returned to racing with an impressive win last month before running fourth in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes and then winning the Leon Macdonald Stakes.
The decision would have been somewhat simpler if it wasn’t for the impressive return of Sir Kingsford at Morphettville just 35 minutes earlier when he was narrowly beaten first-up from a break.
The Gawler-trained galloper worked hard from a wide gate to find the lead and showed plenty of fight to go down narrowly to The Guava.
Crowther’s record on the horse is second to none.
She’s ridden Sir Kingsford on nine occasions for six wins, a horse who looks perfectly suited at Balaklava on a track which is made for horses who race on speed.
“There is a little bit to weigh up,’’ Crowther said.
“It’s hard to get off this one (Second To Nun) now, but I’ve won six on Sir Kingsford and that’s in the back of my mind.
“I’ll leave it to (manager) Nick (Pinkerton) to pick the right one,’’ she said.
