Inside Running: Old warrior Jungle Edge loves a rainy day
One man who won't have been all that happy to see the sun shining in a cloudless sky in Melbourne on Friday is Cranbourne trainer Mick Bell, who would prefer it if the heavens open and rain fell in monsoonal quantities – at least over Caulfield racecourse.
Bell's hardy old warrior Jungle Edge is once again the star attraction at an off-season Saturday winter meeting at the Heath as he tries to land the final black-type race of the season, the group 3 Bletchingly Stakes over 1200 metres.
Jockey Jade Darose with Jungle Edge after winning the Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield this month.Credit:Racing Photos
And to say that he prefers a soft surface is something of an understatement. The nine-year-old gelded son of Dubawi showed rivals a clean pair of heels over 1100m at Caulfield in the group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes a fortnight ago and plenty would be prepared to back him to repeat – especially if the track was heavy, as the veteran is one of the state's greatest mud runners.
It's a competitive field, as he is up against Streets Of Avalon, a shock group 1 winner over 1400 metres at Caulfield in the late summer when he won the Futurity Stakes before finishing down the track in the All-Star Mile, as well as Godophin's Viridine, second in the Monash.
Williams looks a sure bet
Craig Williams looks to be an unbackable favourite to land another Metropolitan Jockeys Premiership as he goes into the last Saturday card of the racing year with a nine-win lead over Damien Oliver.
But the battle for the All Victorian Jockey's Premiership – which includes all winners, country and city that a rider scores during the season – is tighter with Jye McNeil and Daniel Stackhouse going nip and tuck at the top of the standings. McNeil had a hat-trick at Swan Hill on Friday, putting him in the driver's seat: he has seven mounts at Caulfield while Stackhouse has four rides booked.
Weight and see
The minimum top weight in Victorian handicaps from August 1 – at least until the removal of the two kilo COVID-19 weight allowance which has been given to help jockeys during the pandemic – will be 60 kilograms.
Should the top-weighted acceptor for a race have less than 60kg, weights will be adjusted upwards based on the competitors official rating and the conditions of the race, Racing Victoria announced on Friday.
Under the COVID-19 weight allowance, the current minimum weight for Victorian races is 56kg – up from 54kg, so the upward adjustment of the minimum top weight is to ensure a weight spread of at least 4kg for each race.
The exception will be the group 3 Aurie's Star Handicap at Flemington on Saturday, August 8, when the minimum weight for the feature sprint will be 55kg with the minimum top weight 61kg. Weights for group handicaps in September and beyond will be considered at a later point based on the circumstances in Victoria.