J.J. Atkins betting: favourite Rothfire wary of Wisdom of Water
Rothfire surged to the top of Ladbrokes J.J. Atkins betting market with his powerful Champagne Classic win but jockey Jim Byrne remains wary of one of his closest rivals.
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Jim Byrne says he hasn’t traded notes with rival Robbie Fradd, but he’s been keeping a close eye on Wisdom Of Water ahead of his clash with Rothfire in next month’s J.J. Atkins.
Rothfire surged to the top of Ladbrokes J.J. Atkins betting market at $4 with his powerful Champagne Classic win on Saturday, with Wisdom Of Water on the third line of betting at $5.50.
“I have been watching Wisdom Of Water quite intently,” Byrne told Radio TAB’s Past The Post.
“In his first start, Rob Heathcote and I were worried about him.
“Wisdom Of Water capitulated that day and Rothfire went on and won.
“But I respect Wisdom Of Water. He’s a very smart horse, you only have to see the way he’s been winning.
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“He looked nice on the track (on Saturday), he’s a nice horse, but I’ve also got a very nice horse.”
While he is super confident in the Group 1 chances of Rothfire, Byrne is not writing off the Stradbroke winning chances of Vega One, despite his unplaced effort in Saturday’s Victory Stakes.
“I probably erred. I should have sat straight in behind Victorem,” he said.
“Unfortunately Freddie Fox Trot kicked up underneath and hence that sat me out on a limb.
“The horse just worked the whole time. He never switched off. It’s quite imperative he switches off.
“I had never been on Vega One’s back, I’m just so pleased I was able to get a ride on him (Saturday). While he didn’t really attack the line, he never switched off at any point.
“Coming into the Stradbroke if we get that good draw, the most important part is he needs to be covered up.
“If you go back through his races, when he does have cover, the horse really attacks the line.
“For us to win the Stradbroke, that’s what I need to do, so he can show that good turn of foot.”
First acceptors for the Stradbroke are due on Wednesday, at which time the likely make up of the field will become clearer.
Several runners have already been ruled out.
Highly fancied Stradbroke chances like Dawn Passage ($7) and Hightail ($14) are in line to run in Saturday’s Fred Best Classic, but may not need to if the field falls away and they are assured of a start the following week.
The Fred Best offers exempt status for the Stradbroke, as does the Helen Coughlan Stakes on Saturday.
SUPERGIANT WIN FOR THE LITTLE GUYS
Allan Chau described his Group 3 Gunsynd Plate success on Supergiant as a win for the little guys, as he looks to repeat the dose in next month’s Group 3 Rough Habit Plate.
Chau has been on the country circuit since riding his first winner at Kempsey in 2004.
He made the move to the Gold Coast late last year and a vacancy for the Michael Costa trained Supergiant’s first start kickstarted a partnership that led to the highlight of his career on Saturday.
“I always said ‘hi’ to Michael, but never started riding for him until early December,” Chau said.
“I wasn’t meant to be riding this big horse. They didn’t have a rider for a maiden at his first start, I didn’t have a ride, so they gave me the opportunity.
“He won impressively and ever since then it’s just one of those racing stories.
“Michael has been very loyal to me. A lot of owners and trainers prefer the high profile jockeys, they stuck with me.
“He is a tricky horse to ride, I do know him very well, so that’s probably an advantage for me.
“As a kid you treasure these big moments. That’s what you work for. To be able to have that opportunity and pull it off was a big thrill.”
Chau’s fellow riders were also chuffed for him to get the photo finish verdict on Saturday.
“All the boys were really good. They were rapt and happy, because we’ve all been down that path. You start at the bottom,” he said.
“To see one of the little guys have the limelight on the big stage like (Saturday), it was good to see one of the little fellows achieve.
“I thought I had hung on, then a few of the barrier boys started cheering me on. I was confident after the line but didn’t want to go too early.
“It was one of those never forget days.”
Chau said the extra distance in the Rough Habit Plate will pose no problems for Supergiant, who he says has a high cruising speed and is a natural stayer.
Originally published as J.J. Atkins betting: favourite Rothfire wary of Wisdom of Water