Noske Marks Return With A Double
17 February, 2018
Thoroughbred
After spending the last four weeks on the sidelines through suspension, star jockey Jarrad Noske has made an impressive return to the saddle, scoring a winning double at Ascot on Saturday.
Noske was at his best aboard Oliver’s Travels in the Amelia Park Handicap (1400m), where he sat behind the speed set by Veuve De Vega.
The Simon Miller-trained galloper then had to fend off late challenges from Prize Catch and Max Almighty to record his third win from his last four starts.
The four-year-old was dropping back to 1400m, after he running a game third to Eleven Seconds over the mile at Pinjarra last Saturday, the same distance as the Hannan’s Handicap, a race the Miller stable has its eyes on for him later in the year.
Noske, who missed the ride on Oliver’s Travels last week, said he was pleased to team up with the gelding once again.
“He travelled really well,” he said.
“When he first hit the front, he switched off a bit, but when they come at him he really fights hard.”
Noske made it a race-to-race double a little over 30 minutes later when WA Champion Fillies Stakes runner-up Private Dancer returned with a strong win in the Owners Only-Supporting WA Racehorse Owners Handicap (1400m).
Trainer Trevor Andrews said in the build up to the race the WA Oaks was the main target for the filly this campaign, but the class edge on her rivals showed in the long neck victory over race favourite Arctic Stream.
“Full credit to the filly, because I hadn’t trained her up for this,” Andrews said.
“I’d expect her to improve a lot with that.
“She is quite tough, and the Oaks is generally not that tough.
“With fillies like this, it is all about picking up blacktype.”
Tim Walker