Dean Yendall hungry for more Group 1 glory in Caulfield Cup

DEAN Yendall was understandably excited about his first Group 1 win, in last Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes on Yankee Rose, but stunned by the reaction of his fellow riders.

HORSHAM-based jockey Dean Yendall was understandably excited about his first Group 1 win, in last Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on Yankee Rose, but stunned by the reaction of his fellow riders.

“I heard in the Melbourne jockeys’ room all the boys cheered me home,’’ Yendall, 42, said. “In Sydney, there was also lots of jockeys congratulating me. I was excited. I suppose that’s showing some sort of emotion.”

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Yendall said the best part of the win was that his wife Christine Puls, and their two-year-old daughter Mia, were at Randwick to witness it.

“Mia kept saying, ‘Daddy rode a winner’. We got some nice photos,” he said.

Yendall will ride Kiwi mare Fanatic in Saturday’s $3 million Caulfield Cup before partnering Yankee Rose in the Cox Plate a week later.

“I’ve watched her win in the New Zealand Oaks and she looks a nice horse,” he said of Fanatic. “She’ll have to go back from her wide draw of 16, I would think, and that’s how she races.’’

Yendall said his manager Ron Kavanagh had emailed Fanatic’s connections last week asking for the ride and on Tuesday he received the good news.

“I suppose it didn’t hurt that I won on Yankee Rose,” he said.

Yendall will ride the David Vandyke-trained Yankee Rose in track gallops at Moonee ­Valley on Saturday and Tuesday mornings. The three-year-old filly will carry 47.5kg in the Cox Plate, a weight the 47kg hoop said he could make comfortably.

“It was great to ride her last Saturday and she felt fantastic,’’ Yendall said. “She’s got a super quick sprint and, with her weight ­advantage, she’s going to be a good hope in the Cox Plate.”

Yendall said Yankee Rose dropped 7.5kg on her Spring Champion win for the Cox Plate.

She is a joint $17 third favourite with TAB behind Winx ($1.90) and Hartnell ($3).

Yendall hasn’t got a Melbourne Cup ride yet but said, with his light weight, he was ­always a chance to pick something up.