NZ Derby: Mick Dee replaces regular jockey Masa Hashizume on Willydoit

Mick Dee on Evaporate.

Red-hot expat jockey Mick Dee has secured the ride on long-time New Zealand Derby favourite Willydoit after the horse’s shock defeat in Saturday’s Avondale Guineas.

Dee will replace regular rider Masa Hashizume, who gave Willydoit a very quiet ride in the $250,000 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas on Saturday, the hot favourite only making ground late for a well-beaten 10th.

The connections of Willydoit have chosen to go for big-race rider Dee, who won the Blue Diamond at Caulfield on Saturday over Hashizume, who has been New Zealand’s most improved jockey this season but was only having his first day back riding after injury on Saturday.

Australian micro-share ownership company My Racehorse, which owns 50% of Willydoit, was keen on Dee taking the ride as it has a good association with him in Australia.

The engagement means Dee will ride three elite New Zealand-trained or -bred 3-year-olds in one week because he will also partner $3.5 million NZB Kiwi favourite Evaporate in the centrepiece of the $9m Barfoot and Thompson Champions Day at Ellerslie on Saturday week.

But before then he will be on Savaglee when the Matamata colt takes on some of Australia’s best in the A$1m Australian Guineas at Flemington this Saturday.

“It is a pretty exciting time,” says Dee, now recognised as one of Australia’s elite jockeys.

“I am buzzing about Savaglee this Saturday and taking a line through Legarto, who I won this race on two years ago, there is no reason Savaglee can’t win.”

Savaglee is the fourth favourite for the Guineas, victory in which would enormously boost his future stud worth, which has already been valued at around $8m.

While the Australian Guineas is no pushover, Savaglee appears to have found himself in the right race, with several of Australia’s best 3-year-olds set to miss the Group 1.

Dee’s booking to ride Willydoit is not a total surprise because the Avondale Guineas ride wasn’t Hashizume’s best work even if Willydoit still raced below his best.

“I have been watching him from afar and he looks a very promising stayer,” says Dee.

“Not much went right for him or Masa on Saturday and while he will be disappointed, he is a really good rider so he will be back. It has happened to us all in big races.

“So I am happy to be on him in what looks a very even Derby.” It is the ride on Evaporate that tipped Dee over to choosing Champions Day at Ellerslie over All-Star Mile Day at Flemington and the former Hawke’s Bay jockey says he is excited to return home.

“I love going back to New Zealand and this looks like a huge day and so good for the local industry,” says Dee.

“I really wanted to be part of it and obviously Evaporate is a good horse and he can win the Kiwi.

“He was huge against those superstars like Mr Brightside and I Wish I Win on Saturday and as long as he comes through that well he has to be hard to beat over there.

“Probably the one thing we don’t know is how he will go right-handed but he is in a top stable so they will have him sorted.”

Dee has also been booked to ride Karaka Millions runner-up Vega For Luck in the Sistema Stakes on Champions Day, Campionessa in the NZ Breeders Stakes and Sailor Jack in the Auckland Cup, the latter having special meaning.

“Sailor Jack is trained by Shaun and Hazel Fannin and I was best man at their wedding recently.

“So to ride a horse in a Cup for them means a lot to me.”

That leaves Dee with an open book for the five other features on Barfoot and Thompson Champions Day.

“It is going to be something really special for the New Zealand industry so I am keen to be involved as much as I can.”

In other Champions Day news, Welsh-born jockey Ash Morgan has been booked to partner Perfumist in the NZB Kiwi for Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker.

And one-time Derby second favourite Hinekaha is set to bypass that classic and contest the Sunline Vase next week instead as the NZ Oaks on March 22 now becomes her main Group 1 focus.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s racing editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.