James Mcdonald was always the man Angela Davies wanted in the saddle aboard Our Kobison, but she made the champion hoop work for it – at least a little.
McDonald partnered the promising sprinter to a Warwick Farm victory in August and Davies was keen to continue the partnership when Our Kobison resumed earlier this month.
However, believing McDonald was still on his Hong Kong sojourn, she booked someone else for the first-up ride where the gelding finished a brave second after racing wide.
“I didn’t know he (McDonald) was back and he walked past me and he said, ‘I’ll be on next start’,” Davies recalled.
“I said, ‘probably’.”
Having left McDonald hanging, it wasn’t long before Davies received a phone call from the jockey’s manager to secure the second-up mount.
She happily locked him in and on Saturday at Rosehill, McDonald reunites with Our Kobison in the TAB Handicap (1100m) for which the promising sprinter is an even-money favourite.
Davies, who trains a small team at Gosford, admits it is a huge boost knowing the in-demand rider wants to be on her horse.
“Definitely. He is very careful with his rides, he doesn’t just take any of them,” she said.
“You know he’s got an opinion of the horse.”
So does Davies, who having put the polish on 2020 Provincial Championships Final winner and multiple stakes placegetter Through The Cracks , has a decent measuring stick when it comes to sprinters.
She believes Our Kobison has the potential to continue racing his way through the grades.
“He’s pretty well still untapped,” Davies said.
“I’m hoping he can reach Listed level. It will be interesting to see how far he can go.
“It will be a test again Saturday but if he keeps turning up, you get a bit excited. It’s hard enough getting a Saturday horse for small trainers, we just don’t have the volume and numbers coming through.”
Racing And Sports statistics show McDonald has had seven rides for Davies for five winners at a strikerate of better than 70 per cent.