2024 Festival Stakes: Jockey Molly Bourke chases stakes triumph aboard Felix Majestic

Felix Majestic has given Molly Bourke some of the biggest thrills of her career and the in-form apprentice is determined to help propel bold frontrunner to a well-earned stakes triumph at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Molly Bourke celebrates a victory aboard Felix Majestic at Randwick in December last year. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

Felix Majestic has given Molly Bourke some of the biggest thrills of her career and the in-form apprentice is determined to help propel bold frontrunner to a well-earned stakes triumph at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Bourke will go in search of her maiden black type winner this weekend with two stakes rides and pilots Felix Majestic in the Group 3 $250,000 Festival Stakes (1500m).

The pair have already combined for a pair of stakes placings this preparation, finishing third in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap before a last start second in the Group 2 The Hunter.

The Gary Nickson-trained Felix Majestic was a bold leader in The Hunter but was narrowly pipped at the post by emerging star Briasa in a thrilling finish at Newcastle.

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“He has given me some special moments that’s for sure,” Bourke said.

“It’s hurtful when it’s that close but at the same time we couldn’t be prouder of him.

“He gave me a great run and tried his guts out.

“I was quite sure I had been beaten then Tyler (Schiller on Briasa), when we were pulling up, said ‘I think you got me’.”

Felix Majestic and Molly Bourke run them ragged with a perfectly rated ride! pic.twitter.com/SuITIsKX7w

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023

• EXPERT TIPS: Professional punter James Molony’s race-by-race tips and analysis for Rosehill on Saturday

Felix Majestic was big odds in The Hunter and looks set to go around at a substantial price as a $18 contender in the Festival Stakes.

Track conditions are going to play a huge part in his chances.

While Rosehill Gardens was rated a good track on Friday morning, rain has been forecast on raceday in Sydney’s west while he’s also been handed a testing wide draw.

“We just have to pray we don’t get too much rain,” Bourke said.

“The barrier is a bit of a problem but he is quick and he is sharp.

“We just hope we don’t have to burn too much from that gate to get across.

“It’s a query if it’s in the heavy range whether he will go. His trial at Warwick Farm was on the heavy but he’s a better horse on top of the ground.”

"I love riding horses like that!"

Molly Bourke gave Felix Majestic a peach. 🍑 pic.twitter.com/tCsttoUNzj

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023

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Wet conditions wouldn’t be such a problem for Bourke’s other stakes contender Floating, who lines up in the Listed $200,000 ATC Cup (2000m).

The Matthew Smith-trained gelding has never missed the placings on heavy going and is a three-time winner on soft tracks.

Bourke was aboard last start when Floating finished a distant second to ATC Cup favourite Townsend at Newcastle.

“Floating won’t mind a bit of sting out of the ground but barriers aren’t in my favour,” Bourke said.

“If we can get a nice run, he should be very competitive but we just have to hope that we can find a nice position somewhere with a bit of cover.

“He is a horse that likes to have cover throughout so hopefully he can get the best run possible.”

Floating gives @ZacLloydx a Randwick double with a win in the Shoot Out Mile!@mcsmithracingpic.twitter.com/eQkvb3PfoA

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 21, 2024

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Bourke has made her presence felt at the past two Saturday meetings with victories at both standalone cards at Newcastle and Kembla Grange.

Still claiming 2kg in town, she’s got another healthy book and links up with the Stirling Osland-trained Point Counterpoint ($34) in the $160,000 Country Classic (2000m).

“When the stable said they were going to the Country Classic with this horse I got quite excited,” Bourke said.

“I have been riding him at his past couple of starts in town and he has given me a very good feel.

“His last start at Rosehill he loomed like he was nearly going to be the winner coming into the straight but he is just a bit one paced with not much turn of foot so the 2000m should suit him down to the ground.”

Bourke rates Flying Destiny ($17), who steps out in the Kia Ora Prague Benchmark 78 (1100m), among her best chances on the card.

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STAYING trio Spirit Ridge, Jimi Hendrix and Hopeful will lead a reduced Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald assault of Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Listed ATC Cup (2000m).

The training partnership had five acceptors in the feature event but have scratched Naval College and Little Mix in favour of contesting the Group 2 $750,000 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield.

Hopeful ($26) is coming off a compete forgive run after the gelding suffered cardiac arrhythmia in his first up run and gets the chance to bounce back.

“He seems fine but is obviously drawn awkwardly and from that draw he can get back and come home,” Archibald said.

“We just want to give him a confidence boosting run and he’s a horse that would prefer a bit of give in the track.

Archibald conceded Jimi Hendrix “was disappointing his last couple of runs and needs to find a bit of form” as a $61 outsider of the trio.

The ATC Cup shapes as a suitable target for Spirit Ridge ($16), who has proven adept in soft conditions in the past.

Naval College leads the stable’s assault in the Zipping Classic as a $6.50 chance.

The son of Dartmouth has been targeted at the late spring and early summer features and was an unlucky third last start in the Listed The Beauford at Newcastle.

“It is always a bit difficult when you push on a bit further through the Brisbane Carnival, you are always a bit of the back foot but we thought the staying carnival over the summer suited him,” Archibald said.

Neasham and Archibald, fresh from a second Group 1 win together with Port Lockroy last weekend in Perth, will hunt another major this weekend when Lady Laguna chases a second major in the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.

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TRAINER Matt Dale will make a decision on raceday on whether Listed Starlight Stakes favourite Front Page lines up at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The two-time Kosciuszko winner and runner up in this year’s country feature to Far Too Easy is the $4.60 favourite for the 1100m sprint with Tim Clark booked to ride.

Dale confirmed make a call pending on ‘rain on raceday’ whether his brilliant country sprinter runs.

Front Page was scratched from the Group 3 George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on the same day.

He was a last start second in Listed grade down the Flemington straight and has been given the topweight of 59kg in the Starlight Stakes.

Up to 35mm of rain has been forecast in the Parramatta area across Saturday with the track sitting in the good range throughout the week in the lead up to the weekend.

The Brad Widdup-trained Jedibeel ($5.50) is one of the leading contenders for the Starlight Stakes alongside Godolphin sprinters Pereille ($5.50) and Contemporary ($8).

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FIVE YEARS AGO

Kathy O’Hara donned the Godolphin blue silks aboard Ranier when she teamed up with trainer James Cummings to take out the Festival Stakes (1500m), albeit by the narrowest of margins, ahead of John O’Shea’s Live And Free. The co-feature Starlight Stakes was a blow-out for most punters with the late Trevor Stuckey’s Spending To Win saluting at $41.

The G3 Festival Stakes @rosehillgardens @atc_races goes to Ranier, but only just! The @godolphin blue just pipped Live and Free on the line for @JamesCummings88 and @Kathy_ohara! pic.twitter.com/1YdWwPZ63x

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 30, 2019

TEN YEARS AGO

Our Boy Malachi, the horse dubbed the Rockhampton Rocket was a popular and decisive winner of the Starlight Stakes in a sizzling 1.02.9 seconds. The Team Hawkes-trained son of Top Echelon drew 11 of 12 in the 1100m feature but was safely home by near enough to two lengths with Dwayne Dunn making the trip up from Melbourne to Sydney for the occasion.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Fresh off his 11-length barrier trial, the boom colt Gonski stepped out in the Festival Stakes undercard at $1.22, winning by nearly four-lengths. The Tim Martin trained son of Danehill was immediately promoted to Golden Slipper favouritism. Gonski didn’t race again in his 2YO season. He stood at stud in Australia for seven seasons before being exported to China.

Originally published as 2024 Festival Stakes: Jockey Molly Bourke chases stakes triumph aboard Felix Majestic