Newcastle apprentice Dylan Gibbons is hoping for more rain at Randwick as he lines up rides on two Bjorn Baker-trained long-shots in $1 million group 2 races.
The 20-year-old has been given the chance on Kiss The Bride in the Hill Stakes (2000m) and Prime Candidate in the Premiere Stakes (1200m) on Saturday. Both are outsiders but the opportunities to ride in $1 million races, without a claim, are another sign of how quickly Gibbons is establishing himself in the Sydney ranks.
Gibbons took Kiss The Bride to back-to-back Randwick wins, on soft and heavy going, in September before a ninth at Rosehill last week. The seven-year-old is stepping up in class but was facing only five horses as of Friday following the scratching of Stockman and Kris Lees-trained Luncies, which is going to the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
Eight-year-old Prime Candidate, in a class field of 10 for the Premiere, shows less of a liking for the wet but is coming off a half-length third in the Theo Marks Stakes.
Randwick was a heavy 8 with more rain likely, which Gibbons saw as a positive.
"Bjorn is renowned for having them tough and fit, and sometimes when it gets really heavy, that's the type of horse you need," Gibbons said. "Hopefully if the wet weather stays around, it bring the ones with a bit more ability back to us a bit and hopefully it's just a race of toughness."
Now with a two-kilogram claim in town after reaching 20 metropolitan winners, Gibbons also has rides for his boss Lees aboard Big Dance contenders Hosier and Rustic Steel on the Epsom Handicap program.
Both horses are building towards the November 1 $2 million Big Dance at Randwick.
Scone Cup winner Rustic Steel is behind schedule in preparations after missing a run in the Shannon Stakes because of stone bruise. He will carry 61kg in the 1200m benchmark 94 handicap to finish the card and has won two from three on heavy tracks.
Hosier, the Coffs Harbour Cup winner, will carry 59kg in the 1600m benchmark 88 handicap. He has never raced on heavy going but has won six from seven on soft.
"Hosier's record speaks for itself," Gibbons said. "He's obviously had the freshen up in between runs, so he might just need the run, but he's got the ability and the runs on the board to say he's up to a race like that.
"They're winning chances but Kris has set them for their grand finals and they might be a run short, but fingers crossed they're not."
Lees was excited about Wolverine's prospects in the group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m).
"Her strong closing third in the 1400m Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick a fortnight ago suggests she is ready for the mile," Lees told his website. "Wolverine is in great order and should get a good run from the inside barrier."
Lees expected Luncies to race well after his close second in the Cameron Handicap (1500) two weeks ago at Newcastle. He has removed blinkers and replaced them with visors for the Turnbull.
The six-year-old is among second acceptances for the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup but well down the ballot order in both.
