Rosehill Inside Mail: Back to where it all began for jockey Jay Ford as he chases second January Cup

Jay Ford has the opportunity to relive his first stakes win in the 2004 January Cup, then known as the Tattersall’s Club Cup, when he rides a German import on Saturday.

Jay Ford is chasing his second win in the January Cup. Picture: Getty Images

“Jay’s riding so with so much confidence at the moment and horses really travel for him.’’

That was what Kim Moore (now Kim Waugh) told Ray Thomas immediately after her then apprentice Jay Ford won his first stakes race in the Tattersall’s Club Cup at Randwick on New Year’s Day in 2004.

Fast forward 21 years and two weeks and Ford has a chance to do it all again in the race now known as the January Cup aboard the sparingly-raced German-bred seven-year-old, Akua’rius.

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Named so given his February 16 zodiac sign, whether the stars have aligned for Akua’rius will depend on how he handles the projected Heavy track at Rosehill.

His only run on a Heavy track was at Dusseldorf in March 2023 where he finished last, 61 lengths behind the winner.

“He just didn’t perform that day,’’ Akua’rius’ Australian handler Robert Quinn said.

“I think you can put a line through that. Heavy in Germany it would be up to their elbow.

“It is a little bit of an unknown but he has a high knee action and we do feel he will cope with it.

Medatsu through the middle gives @KPMcEvoy a Rosehill double!@cwallerracing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/ha6aOhGFuJ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 12, 2024

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“He is really going to be seen at his best once he gets beyond 2400m and his German form suggests that.

“He ran a lovely race at the end of his first prep in the Beauford, he was only beaten three-lengths in good company.

“He is a bit of a highly-strung horse and it has taken him a while to acclimatise to Australia

“He is a horse that needs to be ridden patiently and Jay Ford really gets on well with him now.”

Sounds familiar.

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BEST BET

POLYGLOT (Race 3) is a son of Lonhro, a half-brother to stakes-winner Tamerlane and a grandson of the 2007 Golden Slipper winner, Forensics. This James Cummings-trained three-year-old’s only win (so far) was on a Heavy 8. Better yet, his only unplaced run in his four starts was a fifth in the Listed Poseidon Stakes behind Glowing Empire who ran third in the Everest two starts later. Trialled well, drawn 4, J-Mac.

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BEST VALUE

AKAU’RIUS (Race 7) is a German-bred seven-year-old with just 13 starts on his resume, five of which he won at distances ranging from 2100m to 2800m, that one was a Listed race at Hoppegarten in August 2023. He is with an astute trainer in Robert Quinn who is quietly confident the son of Sea The Stats would run a good race. Where that places him remains to be seen but he is $34 to win and $6 to place.

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Sir Remlap charges home along the outside to win for @singletonracing! pic.twitter.com/bnymN7Bywc

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 28, 2024

PRICE CHECK

SCOPICS (Race 2) was young Bathurst trainer Angus Stewart’s first runner in the last race on a wickedly on-pace biased Kensington track on December 6 and probably should have won. Fast forward 22 days and this son of Divine Prophet was outstanding in defeat again when third to Sir Remlap and Highway Strip in a deep Highway over 1200m. This is 1400m, he has gate one and Tommy Berry. Has plenty of fans at $4.80 equal fav.

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TRIAL POINTERS

SPRING LEE (Race 10) is the type of mare who could end up throwing million dollar yearlings for her owner/breeders, Cressfield. She’s by Zoustar out of Wild Rain who won several stakes-races including a McEwen Stakes. On top of that, Spring Lee is a close relative of the two-time Cox Plate winner, Northerly. As for her own chances of winning today, she has been trialling as well as anything in town. It comes down to if horses can get back and zoom home; something we will all know by the last.

MISS FLEETWOOD (Race 1) is the fifth foal of the former Champion NZ 2YO filly Ruud Awakening who won five of her seven starts that season including the Karaka Million and Group 1 ARC Diamond Stakes. She’s been a good broodmare too so far, one of her foals, Rise Of The Masses, won the Pago Pago and will run at Rosehill himself later in the day. There is one word to describe Miss Fleetwood, make that two, and they are racy and precocious. Let’s hope we can add ‘muddie’ to that after this.

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DANCE TO THE BOOM wins the Gosford Guineas!

That's three from three for the promising @BBakerRacing filly as she claims the Listed feature run at @WyongRaceClub over Shohisha with Midnight Dynamite in third. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/Jrvbyp0dfb

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 31, 2024

SECTIONAL STAR

SHOHISHA (Race 4) is the one horse in the Midway that is likely to go to a much higher grade in 2025 given she has both age and talent on her side. The David Payne-trained three-year-old has already had a taste of black-type racing. She ran unsuccessfully in the Furious Stakes at her second run (can excuse her for that) then resumed with a fast finishing second to the still unbeaten Dance To The Boom in the 1200m Gosford Guineas at Wyong on New Year’s Eve. They came home the last 600m in 32.88s that day; if it was anywhere else she wins.

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THE MUDDIE

CIGAR FLICK (Race 8) is a third generation racehorse that wears the cerise colours of the Ingham family. Her dam, Palmeteer, was handy but the next few ancestors is where all the action starts namely Little Surfer Girl, Special Harmony and the 1995 WATC Sires’ Produce winner, Marooned Lady. Cigar Flick has won on Good to Heavy and while she was an absolute certainty beaten on a Good 4 in the Just Now Stakes last month, she does boast a compelling 66.67 per cent winning strike-rate on Heavy and as Meatloaf says ‘two out of out three ain’t bad.’

Cigar Flick burns off her rivals under @TommyBerry21 and @cwallerracing gets on the board early at Eagle Farm 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dgAUmzjnf1

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 29, 2024

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ROSEHILL BIG BETS AND MARKET MOVERS

Race 1: Wodeton $2-$1.85 ($2250 at $1.85, $2000 at $1.95)

Race 2: Wal’s Angels $6-$4.80, Sturn Words $15-$9.50

Race 3: Polyglot $2.30-$2, Hezdarnhottoo $4.60-$3.60

Race 4: Shohisha $3.60-$3.20, Lady Extreme $8-$7.50

Race 5: Gilded Water $1.95-$1.90-$1.95 ($4000 at $1.90), Tajanis $11-$7.50

Race 6: Perfumist $3.70-$3.20, Emmadella $6-$5.50

Race 7: Osipenko $3.60-$2.60 ($2200 at $3, $2100 at $2.80)

Race 8: Cigar Flick $6-$3.90, Keitel $26-$11

Race 9: Bunker Hut $4.60-$3.70, High Blue Sea $4.60-$3.90, Silent Impact $6-$5.50

Race 10: Spring Lee $4.60-$3.90, Cosmonova $6-$5.50, Don’t Hope Do $11-$8

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EARLY QUADDIE

Race 3: 5

Race 4: 6, 10, 13, 16

Race 5: 1, 2, 10

Race 6: 2, 3, 4, 10

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QUADDIE

Race 7: 1, 7

Race 8: 2, 3, 4

Race 9: 1, 2, 6

Race 10: 5

Originally published as Rosehill Inside Mail: Back to where it all began for jockey Jay Ford as he chases second January Cup