Star jockey Jamie Kah happy with inside draw for Oakleigh Plate favourite King’s Gambit

King’s Gambit may be a “handful” and a “weirdo” but Jamie Kah says the Oakleigh Plate sets up perfectly for him.

King’s Gambit in full flight winning the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes in Sydney. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Star jockey Jamie Kah has the luxury of an inside draw to guide favourite King’s Gambit in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on Saturday at Caulfield.

The electric sprinter with “a very touchy mouth”, drawn in barrier one, has finished top three in all six starts to date, won twice, but equally squandered races with erratic manners.

Peter and Paul Snowden-trained King’s Gambit overraced first-up at Flemington last spring and tired to run third.

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He bounced back second-up around a bend in Sydney ridden off the speed to finish strong.

Kah has been to Sydney twice to trial King’s Gambit in preparation for the Oakleigh Plate.

“He’s a handful, but I think he’d be better with race tempo especially in an Oakleigh Plate, where they’re going to go fast … he needs to be smothered up,” Kah said.

“He’s a weirdo, he’s got so much ability but a very touchy mouth.

“I feel if it is a fast run race, at Caulfield, it is perfect for him and it should be.”

"It's checkmate! King's Gambit home today."

A rails-hugging ride by @TommyBerry21 on the @SnowdenRacing1 colt and he runs out an easy winner in the G2 @tabcomau Roman Consul at Rosehill from Mexico with Ozzmosis in third. pic.twitter.com/f9f3yBln6K

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 7, 2023

King’s Gambit is a $4.20 favourite with TAB for the Oakleigh Plate from Asfoora ($5.50), Sghirripa ($9) and Rey Magnerio ($9.50).

Three-year-old colt King’s Gambit has a 7.5kg advantage on Asfoora.

Group 2 winner King’s Gambit placed third in the Group 1 Golden Slipper last year.

“He’s got the class to be (a Group 1 winner), he’s a horse that everything needs to go right for him,” Kah said.

“He’s not a push button horse, if everything goes right he’s a Group 1 horse.”

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Portland Sky, who dead-heated with Celebrity Queen in 2021, is the last three-year-old to win the Oakleigh Plate.

Fastnet Rock (2005), Snitzel (2006) and Starspangledbanner (2010) also achieved the feat.

The Snowdens won the race with Russian Revolution in 2018.

Kah has nine rides on Saturday at Caulfield including Hayasugi in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and Pericles in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes.

Originally published as Star jockey Jamie Kah happy with inside draw for Oakleigh Plate favourite King’s Gambit