KEY POINTS:
Hayden Tinsley will replace Grant Cooksley on Envoy in the $300,000 Century City Developments Wellington Cup on Saturday.
Cooksley suffered a compound fracture of an upper arm in a fall at Trentham on Monday.
Trainer Ken Kelso said Tinsley was one of six jockeys who called for the
ride when they heard of Cooksley's unfortunate accident.
He landed the ride because of his wonderful, if brief, association with Envoy in previous seasons.
"Hayden won the Hawkes Bay Cup on him," said Kelso.
"He's had three rides on the horse for a win, a second and a third."
Tinsley and Kelso will sense a touch of irony if Envoy makes it back-to-back Wellington Cup victories.
"Hayden probably would have won last year's Cup on him instead of Grant," said Kelso.
"He was supposed to ride him when he came back from running seventh in Maybe Diva's Melbourne Cup, but got hurt in a racefall _ that's when Grant got on him.
"And when he made his fresh start at Hastings last spring Hayden was booked for him, but he had that bad fall in the 3-year-old race earlier in the day and broke his collarbone.
"Grant got on him again as a result of that fall, so there's a bit of fate there somewhere."
Kelso did his job well last year to have Envoy peaking at the right week. The talented stayer won the Trentham Stakes on the opening day and Cooksley rode a perfectly judged race to get him home from the back of the field in the Wellington Cup.
"The shame this time is that Grant rode such a brilliant race on him to win the Trentham Stakes on Saturday," said Kelso.
Immediately after Cooksley's fall, the TAB eased out Envoy's Wellington Cup quote, but last night had trimmed him back into $6.
Willy Smith, third behind Envoy in the Trentham Stakes on Saturday, is favourite at $4.80.
There is a suggestion of rain in Wellington on Friday, but Kelso said his understanding of the situation is that the prediction is mainly for light rain or drizzle. Envoy is at his best on firm footing.
Physically, Kelso says, the horse is thriving. "I've left him at the same place at Otaki we left him at for this week last year and the boy looking after him did a great job last year.
"He says the horse is eating well and looks bright and that he's happy with him. If he's happy, I'm happy."
Zabeel Classic winner Mikki Street has been destroyed after breaking a leg in trackwork at Awapuni yesterday morning.
The Lisa Latta-trained 5-year-old was being ridden by regular jockey Bruce Herd as he prepared for the Thorndon Mile at Trentham on Saturday. Mikki Street won six of his 28 starts for stake-earnings of $268,967.
Wellington Cup market: $4.80 Willy Smith, $6 Envoy, $6.50 So You, Respect, $7 Everswindell, $13 Zatiger, $17 Dimondsontheinside, Mirkola Lass, $21 The Bighearted, He's So Vain, $26 Genebel, Far Away Places, $31 Sable, Taikorea, Downwind, $41 Gallions Reach, Sordid Affair, $51 Falsetto, $61 Its All Good, Zagata, $Roman Chariot, $101 Seventh Heaven, $151 In Theory.