ED O’Rourke is rolling the dice!
The Hawkesbury trainer has decided to do something he has never done before with his consistent sprinter Iron Man.
O’Rourke is backing him up at Rosehill Gardens today only a week after he was narrowly beaten there last Saturday.
He accepted with Iron Man in two races, and opted for the shorter Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) rather than a similar grade race over 1400m.
Apprentice Molly Bourke has been given the mount, her 2kg allowance lessening the gelding’s weight to 57kg.
That is 1.5kg less then he carried when nudged out by prolific winner Spanish Fox in the same grade over 1300m a week ago.
“Iron Man pulled up well from last Saturday’s race, and has done well during the week,” O’Rourke said on Friday.
“He is getting closer to the end of his current preparation, so we’ll have another shot at getting him back into the winning list.
“Iron Man is racing very consistently, and made his run in the straight wider on the track last Saturday, whereas the winner was closer to the inside and that favoured runners during the meeting.
“I’m not sure if this will be his last run this time in work. It will depend on how he performs on Saturday and how he pulls up.”
Iron Man, a five-year-old son of Exosphere, has raced 15 times for three wins and six placings, and has earned just over $260,000.
He won twice – at Canterbury and Rosehill – earlier in his preparation, and has been runner-up at the latter track at two of his last three starts.
Iron Man will have two Newcastle rivals in his bid to rejoin the winning list.
Hawkesbury apprentice Zac Wadick will ride topweight Snapback for trainer Mark Minervini, and Jason Collett partners Midnight Opal for Nathan Doyle.
Minervini has decided to take visors off Snapback, a Snitzel four-year-old who ran last of five runners behind Briasa in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1250m) on the Kensington track on October 30 at his first start in nearly 12 months.
Midnight Opal, another four-year-old who races in the Australian Bloodstock colours, ran seventh to Fire Star (a rival again) in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) at Warwick Farm on October 26 at his first appearance since May.
Newcastle trainer Sam Kavanagh is testing Lady Ichikawa in city company at Rosehill, chasing a hat-trick with her.
Jason Collett has the mount in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m).
Lady Ichikawa has been impressive, unfurling strong finishes, to win her last two starts at home on October 1 and 19, over 1250m and 1200m.
Collett rode the lightly-raced daughter of No Nay Never when she broke through in a Provincial Maiden Plate (1250m) at a midweek meeting on October 1.
Lady Ichikawa’s nine career starts to date have produced the two wins along with five placings.
Story John Curtis, November 8, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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