News

Bowman confident of giving Stradbroke rivals the Silent treatment

1st Jun 2009

Sydney Morning Herald - Craig Young - Tuesday, 2 June 2009

LEADING Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman cannot wait to unleash Stradbroke favourite All Silent in Queensland's premier race at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Bowman was confirmed as the rider of Grahame Begg's gelding yesterday after stewards ordered rival Craig Williams to ride Ortensia in the group 1 event.

Williams had committed to All Silent last week but Ortensia's trainer, Tony Noonan, demanded stewards make the jockey ride his filly. At a teleconference yesterday, Noonan produced detailed records of Williams and his manager making a commitment to ride Ortensia in the Stradbroke.

"After taking evidence from all parties, we informed Craig Williams he had to ride Ortensia," Queensland Racing chief steward Wade Birch said. "When told he replied, 'Yes, sir'."

Begg had placed Bowman on stand-by in the middle of last month after the jockey partnered All Silent in an exhibition gallop at Randwick. Bowman also rode All Silent in a barrier trial before the horse returned to racing.

"To be honest he is pretty lazy on the track and both times I've ridden him it has been without blinkers," he said. "I'm really looking forward to pressing the go button on him in a race. He is peaking at the right time and I just want a fair surface on Saturday." All Silent, a group 1 winner of the Emirates Stakes last spring, was a super third behind Apache Cat in the Doomben 10,000.

"To the naked eye it was an outstanding performance," Bowman said. "He'll be more suited to the bigger track at Eagle Farm and better suited at the 1400m."

Until Noonan took the riding engagement for Ortensia to stewards, Bowman was set to ride at Randwick but the switch to Eagle Farm hasn't gone unnoticed by trainers.

Bowman was being chased yesterday by New Zealand trainer Lance Noble for the ride on Geeza in the Queensland Guineas but the jockey had committed to the John O'Shea-trained Informality.

Noble engaged Glen Boss for the ride on Geeza, which was tenacious when just beaten by guineas contender Youthful Jack in last Saturday's Brisbane Plate.

"Informality is an improving type of horse who has gone through his grades well in Sydney," Bowman said.

In the Brisbane Cup, Bowman takes over from the suspended Damien Oliver on the Danny O'Brien-trained Ballack, which goes into the 2400m race as a last-start winner of the Chairman's Handicap at Doomben.

Boss, who had been in the running to ride Ortensia at 51kg in the Stradbroke, has been booked for the ride on last year's winner Mr Baritone, which finished third behind Ortensia in last Saturday's QTC Cup with Oliver on board.

■ All-time great jockeys George Moore and Darby McCarthy, along with trainers Bart Cummings and Con Doyle, will be inaugural members of the Stradbroke Hall of Fame. A further two horses and one overall legend will be announced at tomorrow's Stradbroke Handicap barrier draw.