Michael McNab on Target Audience winning at Cambridge. Photo / Supplied
Premiership king Michael McNab knows things could have been a lot worse than the situation he finds himself in returning to the saddle at Cambridge today.
The two-time winner of the national jockeys’ title resumes riding at the synthetic track meeting after a forced 10 days on the sidelines following a spectacular race fall at Te Rapa.
Missing what could have been five meetings shaped as a potentially huge blow to McNab’s chances of winning a third straight premiership, as he was locked in an intense battle with Warren Kennedy for this season’s title.
But Kennedy will start today’s meeting just one ahead, 120-119, after being largely luckless and riding just one winner when his rival was away.
Kennedy bypassed one meeting in the South Island and then the Te Aroha meeting last Sunday was abandoned because of surface water.
It has been transferred to tomorrow and Kennedy will stay in the north and ride there, as he had already taken bookings because Sunday’s fields roll over to tomorrow.
But McNab didn’t have rides at that meeting because of back soreness suffered in the injury, so will instead head to the Riccarton meeting the same day, where he will probably secure a strong book. In contrast, Kennedy can’t have too many winning chances tomorrow, as the transferred meeting has several jumping or jumps rider races.
So the 10 days away from riding cost McNab riding at only three meetings that Kennedy did, and with five weeks of the premiership to go, the one-win lead is largely irrelevant.
“Warren got one, but I can’t worry too much one way or the other how many he rides because I can only ride my ones,” says McNab. “I missed some winning rides, so it wasn’t great, but I realise it could have been a lot worse if he had ridden heaps, so being one win behind isn’t too bad.”
Most importantly, McNab says the back pain of last week has finally gone and he is ready to saddle up.
“I’m good to go but it took a while,” he told the Herald. “It was sore on Sunday but Monday felt a lot better.”
Both men have strong books today but McNab’s would be considered the better going by the markets, while he looks certain to be on more winning chances at Riccarton tomorrow than Kennedy at Te Aroha.
“And Aiden [Rodley, manager] thinks we’re looking good for the weekend, so I’m hoping for a good week.”
The roller-coaster of the past month has caused movement in the jockeys’ premiership market rarely seen before.
Kennedy was as short as $1.05 around six weeks ago, McNab then clawed his way back to being even on the ladder and the market flipped to have him as the $1.30 favourite.
When news of his injury broke last week, the market was suspended and reopened with both paying $1.85, and now, even though he starts today one win behind, McNab is back into $1.60 favouritism.
One of McNab’s more interesting rides today is Ultimate Focus (R5, No1), who bolted in on the Cambridge synthetic last start.
He started his race career in Hong Kong, returned to New Zealand to win at a similar meeting to this two years ago, then spent a year in Australia and now is back with original trainers Ben and Ryan Foote.
Ultimate Focus bolted in over 970m here last start, and while he steps up to 1300m, carries the same weight, so can win again.
knows things could have been a lot worse than the situation he finds himself in returning to the saddle at Cambridge today.
The two-time winner of the national jockeys’ title resumes riding at the synthetic track meeting after a forced 10 days on the sidelines following a spectacular race fall at Te Rapa.
Missing what could have been five meetings shaped as a potentially huge blow to McNab’s chances of winning a third straight premiership, as he was locked in an intense battle with Warren Kennedy for this season’s title.
But Kennedy will start today’s meeting just one ahead, 120-119, after being largely luckless and riding just one winner when his rival was away.
Kennedy bypassed one meeting in the South Island and then the Te Aroha meeting last Sunday was abandoned because of surface water.
It has been transferred to tomorrow and Kennedy will stay in the north and ride there, as he had already taken bookings because Sunday’s fields roll over to tomorrow.
But McNab didn’t have rides at that meeting because of back soreness suffered in the injury, so will instead head to the Riccarton meeting the same day, where he will probably secure a strong book. In contrast, Kennedy can’t have too many winning chances tomorrow, as the transferred meeting has several jumping or jumps rider races.
So the 10 days away from riding cost McNab riding at only three meetings that Kennedy did, and with five weeks of the premiership to go, the one-win lead is largely irrelevant.
“Warren got one, but I can’t worry too much one way or the other how many he rides because I can only ride my ones,” says McNab. “I missed some winning rides, so it wasn’t great, but I realise it could have been a lot worse if he had ridden heaps, so being one win behind isn’t too bad.”
Most importantly, McNab says the back pain of last week has finally gone and he is ready to saddle up.
“I’m good to go but it took a while,” he told the Herald. “It was sore on Sunday but Monday felt a lot better.”
Both men have strong books today but McNab’s would be considered the better going by the markets, while he looks certain to be on more winning chances at Riccarton tomorrow than Kennedy at Te Aroha.
“And Aiden [Rodley, manager] thinks we’re looking good for the weekend, so I’m hoping for a good week.”
The roller-coaster of the past month has caused movement in the jockeys’ premiership market rarely seen before.
Kennedy was as short as $1.05 around six weeks ago, McNab then clawed his way back to being even on the ladder and the market flipped to have him as the $1.30 favourite.
When news of his injury broke last week, the market was suspended and reopened with both paying $1.85, and now, even though he starts today one win behind, McNab is back into $1.60 favouritism.
One of McNab’s more interesting rides today is Ultimate Focus (R5, No1), who bolted in on the Cambridge synthetic last start.
He started his race career in Hong Kong, returned to New Zealand to win at a similar meeting to this two years ago, then spent a year in Australia and now is back with original trainers Ben and Ryan Foote.
Ultimate Focus bolted in over 970m here last start, and while he steps up to 1300m, carries the same weight, so can win again.
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.
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