MELBOURNE - Heavyweight jockey Steven Arnold faces a tough week as he prepares for his lightest ride in three years on Polar Bear in next Saturday's group-one Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth.
Arnold, 32, could have ridden at 55kg at Sandown in Melbourne on Saturday and needsto take off another half a kilogram from his 180cm frame to ensure he is not overweight on the David Hayes-trained galloper, who has 54.5kg in the Perth feature.
"It is not going to be easy but I'm really fit and I can do it," he said.
Arnold said he rode Pentastic at 53.5kg when he finished fourth to Makybe Diva in the 2003 Melbourne Cup, but can't remember another time in the past three years when he rode under 55kg.
He said his weight was solid at 55kg but told his manager, Warren Huntly, that he would be prepared to ride at 54.5kg if the right horse presented itself during the spring.
Polar Bear will be Arnold's first ride in Perth.
"Obviously he [Polar Bear] is a good ride and looking at his runs I think he would be a top four chance," Arnold said.
A last-start winner of the Listed Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1800m) at Flemington, Polar Bear has been a big race performer most of the spring, finishing second to El Segundo in the group one Underwood Stakes (1800m) and fourth to Racing To Win in the group one Epsom Handicap (1600m).
Hayes' other Railway runners are topweight Niconero with 57kg and Confectioner who is next in the weights on 56.5kg.
Nash Rawiller will ride Niconero who finished a close second to Divine Madonna in the group one Emirates Stakes (1600m) on November 11.
He was also third to Red Dazzler and Rewaaya in last month's group one Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.
