James Orman determined to stay in the race for Brisbane jockeys’ title
APPRENTICE James Orman is confident he can beat a suspension which threatens his chances in the knife-edge battle for the senior Brisbane jockeys’ premiership.
APPRENTICE James Orman is confident he can beat a suspension which threatens his chances in the knife-edge battle for the senior Brisbane jockeys’ premiership.
The 19-year-old, riding on a stay pending his appeal against an 11-day suspension, reckons he can add to his tally of winners at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
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In what could be one of the most exciting Brisbane jockeys’ title races, former South African Jeff Lloyd leads a three-way tussle on 66 wins with last season’s top rider Jim Byrne claiming 65.5 wins. Heading into the final month of the racing season, Orman has 63 wins.
The great unknown is whether Orman will win his appeal against a careless riding suspension from Ipswich Cup day, with the hearing set for July 8.
Orman is confident of riding more winners on Saturday, with his best chance the Sunshine Coast Guineas favourite Sold For Song.
Kevin Kemp’s filly is the $3 Guineas favourite after running on strongly in the Queensland Guineas and then winning the Daybreak Lover last week.
“I am going to try to beat this riding suspension, and I say that not just because I want to win the premiership, but because I genuinely feel I have got no case to answer,” Orman said.
“In the meantime I have just got to focus on riding more winners and I think Sold For Song is going to be really, really hard to beat. She will be better for having that run over the mile (in the Queensland Guineas) and I think she is a very classy filly.
“She has won at the Sunshine Coast before and I will be letting her find her feet early before having the last crack at them.’’
Orman has some other nice prospects on Saturday including Instrumentalist, who is rated a $14 chance in the Caloundra Cup.
Instrumentalist, in the care of Sunshine Coast trainer Dale Healey, has firmed in from $18 with some bookies who noted how he worked home well to run third behind Maurus in the Ipswich Cup. Instrumentalist has won over 2700m and only has to carry 54kg in the Sunshine Coast staying feature.
“I got a lot further back than I wanted on Instrumentalist in the Ipswich Cup and hopefully I will be a bit closer on the Sunshine Coast,” Orman said. “His main aim is probably the Queensland Cup (at Eagle Farm on July 16) but I certainly think he will be competitive on the coast. Maurus is certainly the one to beat but I reckon my horse has a chance of knocking him off.”
Orman is only on a rough hope in the Glasshouse Handicap, with bookies rating Liam Birchley’s sprinter Time To Plunder a $35 chance.
The gelding has gone more than 580 days without a win and appeared to struggle in the Eye Liner but Orman thinks he is on a good value chance.
Originally published as James Orman determined to stay in the race for Brisbane jockeys’ title
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