Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg has given rising apprentice Tom Prebble another golden opportunity, confirming he will ride Splash Back in Saturday’s Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington.
The pair has struck up a successful partnership, winning together at Caulfield and Flemington in June, with Begg confident that loyalty should be rewarded as Splash Back targets the 1200-metre feature.
“It’s hard to remove a jockey who has won the horse’s last two starts and can comfortably ride 54kg,” Begg said. “Tom has been doing plenty of work with her, from gallops to jump-outs, and deserves the ride.”
Prebble recently celebrated his first Black Type win on $61 outsider Title Fighter in the Listed Straight Six at Flemington, with Saturday’s assignment marking his first serious shot at Group 3 success on a leading contender.
Splash Back heads all-in markets for the $200,000 race, which has attracted 13 nominations including straight-track performers Joyful Fortune, Marble Nine, Bossy Nic, Group 2 winner Lady In Pink, French sprinter Cote Atlantique and King Of Roseau from Sydney.
Begg said the mare had progressed well since her last start and that the Aurie’s Star presented as the perfect next step.
“It’s a race where fillies get in on the minimum weight and historically hasn’t had big fields. It just shapes as an ideal option for her,” Begg said. “She’s shown she can handle Flemington, and her racing pattern should suit a slowly run race down the straight.”