Racing: Topweight El Chico tackles $45,000 race at Wingatui

El Chico. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Chris Johnson has been engaged to ride El Chico, topweight in the $45,000 James Hazlett Stakes at Wingatui on Monday.

El Chico has been ridden in most of his races for the past two seasons by Lisa Allpress.

But the Wanganui jockey has opted for the Manawatu meeting on Monday.

"Lisa was keen to come south but it was just too difficult with the travel," Michael Pitman, the trainer of El Chico, said.

Allpress said she wanted to spend Christmas Day with her sons aged 7 and 4. She will make the trip for other meetings on the South Island holiday circuit.

El Chico has not raced since the NZ Cup meeting when he won the Stewards' Handicap (1200m) by 10 lengths. He carried 58.5kg, half a kilogram less than his impost on Monday, but the minimum is 1kg lower at 53.

El Chico won an open 1200m race at the corresponding meeting 12 months ago with Jamie Bullard the rider.

Pitman won the listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m) with Coup Align (ridden by Allpress) last season when the race was run in February.

Pitman also has So Elusive and Our Genes in the Hazlett on Monday. He has yet to settle on a rider for So Elusive, winner of the Pegasus Handicap at the NZ Cup meeting in the hands of Allpress.

Stable apprentice Amelia Denby has the mount on Our Genes. Denby has been in Melbourne for the past two months with her partner, Johnny Pitman, and doing riding work for Mike Moroney.