Jockey Fred Kersley trying to make most of All-Star Mile call-up to ride Icebath

Fred Kersley earned a late call-up to ride Icebath in the All-Star Mile and will do everything he can to make the most of the opportunity.

Fred Kersley has been working hard and riding a lot of trackwork for top stables to earn raceday opportunities. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Talented jockey Fred Kersley will tap into Group 1 pilot Kerrin McEvoy for “any little insight” to boost his All-Star Mile call-up on Icebath.

McEvoy was keen to rid Icebath in the world’s richest mile prior to being booked on Blue Diamond runner-up Revolutionary Miss in Saturday’s Golden Slipper.

McEvoy, a three-time Melbourne Cup and dual Everest winner, won the $2m Invitation on Icebath last year.

“I’ll be touching base with Kerrin today (Friday) so he can fill me in and give me a bit of an insight into her,” Kersley said.

“It’s a $5m race, you don’t want to leave any stone unturned, any little insight he (McEvoy) could provide might just be the difference between winning and losing.”

Kersley replaced Ben Melham, originally booked to ride Brad Widdup-trained Icebath, after the gun jockey snapped his collarbone in a fall after the post in Adelaide last Monday.

Swooping mare Icebath, a $23 chance in the All-Star Mile, was only narrowly defeated in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last spring.

“Her racing pattern is her racing pattern and doesn‘t always help her at times,” Kersley said.

“She’s got a great finish on her and generally big races like these it’s always high pressure with a bit of speed on.

“I’m happy with where we’re drawn (barrier nine), I would be a little bit happier with a bit more rain, but she maps to get a nice run.

“That was a fantastic effort by her (Cantala), speed on, she went back, settled last and we saw how good her final furlongs were.

“She all but won the race and that was on a Good 3 track, obviously way too heavy for her last start (in Sydney) second-up.

“We have seen what she can do at Flemington over the mile, no reason why she can't be running up to her best again.”

Kerrin McEvoy won The Invitation on Icebath. Picture: Getty Images

Kersley has ridden 29 winners this season, well on the way to shading the mark set last year.

The West Australian rode 59 winners as an apprentice in the 2017-18 season.

Building a nice rapport with stables like Godolphin and team Hawkes has helped Kersley‘s cause.

He won the Group 2 Danehill Stakes last spring on Godolphin colt Kallos.

“It’s all starting to come together, slowly but surely,” Kersley, a three-time Group 1 runner-up, said.

“I’m only 22, I think most jockeys don’t hit their prime until they’re about 24-25 so I’ve still got a good few years in front of me working my backside off, but things are starting to work out.

“When you're a riding in my position, trying to get somewhere, you’re riding a lot of trackwork, especially for these bigger stables.

“They’ve obviously got their main Group 1 riders they put on regularly but I think it’s very important to be doing a lot of work for the right stables because you never know.

“Over the carnival I got that Group 2 (Kallos), you can be second or third seed in the race and be just as good as the first seed, it’s a funny game the racing game the way it works.”

Originally published as Jockey Fred Kersley trying to make most of All-Star Mile call-up to ride Icebath