Trainer Colin Scott has snapped up James McDonald to ride Speediness in Saturday’s Group One Toorak Handicap after Craig Williams failed to beat a careless riding ban.

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Speediness was an eye-catching fourth in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) last start, finishing powerfully to get within half a length of the winner Rebel Dane.

Scott said he was happy to secure McDonald for the ride in the 1600m handicap at Caulfield after Williams lost his appeal on Monday against the severity of a 10-meeting ban which rules him out of Saturday’s meeting.

“We would have loved to have Craig still on the horse because he knows him and he’s an outstanding rider, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of topline riders that rang up for the ride and we opted to go with James,” Scott said.

McDonald is the rider of star galloper It’s A Dundeel who won the Group One Underwood Stakes at Caulfield last start but is battling a hoof issue ahead of Saturday’s Caulfield Stakes.

Scott said a ride of McDonald’s on trainer Greg Bennett’s Kaypers in the Scone Cup earlier this year, which Speediness won and Kaypers was a close third, stuck in his mind when he booked the jockey.

“Kaypers was first-up over the mile and he can be a horse that can have a tendency to over-race and pull a bit and he got the horse to settle an absolute treat and run out of its skin,” Scott said.

“Benno (Bennett) is a very good mate of mine and he holds James in high regard, and I think he’s a nice calm rider with very good hands so that immediately stuck in my mind.

“Speediness just needs to settle and relax and I just think he might be the man for the job.”

Speediness is among 22 nominations for the Toorak which include last year’s winner Solzhenitsyn, Stradbroke winner Linton, New Zealand star King Mufhasa and French horse Trevieres.

Scott is chasing his first Group One and while he knows the Toorak won’t be an easy task, he took plenty of heart out of Speediness’s Rupert Clarke performance which he felt was outstanding.

“I think he’s probably at his best at the mile,” Scott said.

“I’m very respectful of horses like Solzhenitsyn. There’s no easybeats in these Group Ones.

“Every horse in that race will be a horse to beat so I’m certainly not overly confident, but I’m very happy with the horse and extremely happy with his last run and the way he’s coming forward.”