Sydney jockey Jason Collett will be the new rider for Crack Me Up in the Group 2 $250,000 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 16.
Jockey Jason Collett, above, will ride Crack Me Up in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Matt McGillivray was aboard Crack Me Up last start when the four year old won the Listed $100,000 Recognition Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on November 25 and the in-form jockey will partner the Liam Birchley trained gelding again on Saturday in the Listed $100,000 Brisbane Handicap (1600m) at Doomben.
McGillivray had been offered the ride in the Villiers Stakes but the young rider has elected to stay and ride in Brisbane where he is currently third in the jockey’s premiership on twenty-five wins behind Jeff Lloyd on thirty-seven wins and Robbie Fradd on thirty-five and a half wins.
“Matt deserves a good ride so I thought he might as well keep the ride for this week,” Birchley told AAP.
“But at this stage we plan to get Jason Collet for the Villiers.”
The Brisbane Handicap will be Crack Me Up’s third run back this campaign and will give Birchley a good indication how he is going to handle the tougher class in the Villiers Stakes.
“The Brisbane Handicap will be a good guide for us. It is a strong field and it will give us a very good idea where we stand,” Birchley said.
Collett is riding in great form and collected a winning feature race double at Rosehill last Saturday on Testashadow in the Group 3 $150,000 Festival Stakes (1500m) for Gary Portelli and on the Bjorn Baker trained Egyptian Symbol in the Listed $125,000 Starlight Stakes (1100m).
Crack Me Up is the winner of four races from eighteen starts and has collected $365,000 in prizemoney for his connections.