With James McDonald, the world champion jockey, away at Doomben, Nash Rawiller rides tall at Royal Randwick today to stem the surge of a vintage season of apprentices, while Queensland trainer David Vandyke, very much a focal point, takes on the might of Chris Waller in a Brisbane major.
Usually, the exodus north has begun for the Magic Millions but, so far, it has lacked the usual spark, which J-Mac and Waller will be out to supply.
James McDonald added a Cox Plate win on Anamoe in October to his long list of triumphs in another stunning year.Credit:Getty
In 2020, Alligator Blood, prepared by Vandyke, won the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas only to lose on disqualification, a decision sensationally reversed on a recent Supreme Court judgment on a legal breach, not a racing one.
Perhaps Vandyke started in NSW, but has done particularly well since moving to the Sunshine Coast around the time he prepared group 1 winner Yankee Rose, which was sold to Japan.
Subsequently, Yankee Rose produced Liberty Island, her second foal, which won the group 1 Hanshin Juvenile for fillies a few weeks back and the third foal, now a yearling colt, was sold for around $4,490,000.
Alligator Blood won a group 1 for Vandyke and plenty was left in the gelding’s tank to be even better for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Nash Rawiller is all arms and legs, but he can choreograph a winner.Credit:Getty
With three acceptors in the Magic Millions Shootout at Doomben, Vandyke takes on Waller’s Bigboyroy, given a “too much to do last start” rating by Best Bets, and will require all the assistance J-Mac can supply.
One of the Vandyke three, Pancho, was formerly with Waller and comes off a last-start fifth, went too early and wide, so he can do better. Pancho’s stablemates, Street Dancer and Reflect The Stars, cannot be overlooked either. Rarely is Waller outnumbered in a race and, as usual, he has a strong Randwick representation, including Sacrimony and Vowmaster, in the TAB Handicap.
Judging by recent defeats, Sacrimony requires the authority forthcoming from Rawiller, who adds spice to the Sydney saddle.
If they were dancers, J-Mac would be more Fred Astaire, fluent on his toes and graceful, while Rawiller is rap, all arms and legs, but he can choreograph a winner, as he did at Gosford on Wednesday.
It was a real old-fashioned plonk on Latenighttoughguy, by Written Tycoon out of Neon Belle. Hailing from Hong Kong the six-year-old had only eight starts before joining Waller. He was backed from $6.50 to $3.40 and looked $20 on the turn. Rawiller navigated cool with purpose close to the fence, and hot and fiery near the end.
Latenighttoughguy was resuming after an 84-week spell, the situation that confronted Vowmaster when he returned at Randwick on December 17, and should have won. Being the season of goodwill, the reason won’t be itemised.
Maybe Zac Lloyd, the apprentice so slick at Randwick last Saturday, could again come to the fore against the Waller challenge with Stromboli, good fresh and with the potential to be better, but it is a competitive event, a situation made for the Rawiller edge.
Still, again apprentices could hold the balance of power. Theo Green, unmatched as a tutor of champion jockeys, maintained “boys in form are as good as the older blokes and have the advantage of an allowance”. In those days, there were no “girls”.
Obviously, Tyler Schiller is an example. Schiller came out of his claim like no other with four Randwick winners on Monday, but Lloyd still has two kilos and with 1.5kg Reece Jones is good value.
But the jockey of the year is J-Mac. Just how many world champs does Down Under currently have? Maybe he hails from New Zealand, but Sydney made him great. For mine his best mount today is Brigantine (Magic Millions The Buffering) for James Cummings, the trainer of year. And for spectacular? Take a bow Nash.
