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| Dane Squance |
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Star international jockey Jamie Spencer believes he's on the best horse in Light Infantry and just hopes for a smooth race to win the $10m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Spencer rode Light Infantry in a fast gallop at Canterbury on Tuesday morning and said the English raider is fit and well for Saturday's rich Rosehill race.
Light Infantry, who is in the care of trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for the Sydney spring carnival, is the $4.50 favourite for the Golden Eagle.
Spencer, the Irish-born, English-based jockey, has ridden Light Infantry in each of his five starts, winning twice including a Group 3 race at Newbury, and successive seconds at Group 1 level in France during the northern hemisphere summer.
"Essentially, I should have the best horse in the race on figures," Spencer said.
"He won a Group race as a two-year-old on heavy ground so whether it is a wet track or a firm track it doesn't really matter to him.
"But with 20 runners we just need a certain level of luck. I'm hoping for a smooth race."
Spencer, who is no stranger to Sydney racing having partnered Brave Smash into third placing behind Redzel in the inaugural The Everest in 2017, put Light Infantry through his paces at Canterbury trackwork on Tuesday morning.
"He is a high-class horse," Spencer said.
"He's run to a high level, particularly his last start, but this is a different test.
"He's going from a straight 1600m to 1500m around a turn and he has never raced around a turn in his life.
"So, there are a few quandaries but we are hoping his class will shine through."
English raider Light Infantry is gaining vital experience galloping around the tight, turning Canterbury track ahead of the $10m Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Light Infantry has raced predominantly on straight tracks in Europe but at the Canterbury training and quarantine facility he's getting a crash course on racing the Australian way.
Trainer Ciaron Maher and English jockey Jamie Spencer acknowledged Light Infantry's lack of exposure to racing in big fields around sharp turns is a concern going into the Golden Eagle.
"Light Infantry has been racing on quite big tracks (in Europe) so it is ideal to get him to Canterbury which is one of the tighter tracks," Maher said.
"The experience he's getting around this track is invaluable. He can get used to cornering and stretching off the corner.
"It helps to get him used to our racing which is usually very tight and very competitive."
Light Infantry was ridden by Spencer in a track gallop at Canterbury on Tuesday morning where the horse did some cantering exercise before working off from the 1000m then accelerating over the final 200m.
"I let him have a good stretch down the straight, so he could open up his lungs," Spencer said.
"The old saying ‘if he is not fit coming here then there is no point coming' and he's fit and well. He always feels good, he's a ball of energy and a very happy horse.
"We know he's going from a straight 1600m to 1500m around a turn and he has never raced around a turn in his life.
"Obviously the races are run at a different tempo here, you go fast at the start, then ease off and then kick again.
But we wouldn't be here if we didn't think we were bringing the right horse."
Maher said Light Infantry has adapted quickly to his new surrounds at Canterbury and the horse did look exceptional in the coat at trackwork.
"I've travelled a lot of horses out here to Sydney and Melbourne over the last five years and I would say this horse has travelled better than all of them," Maher said.
"They can lose anywhere between 5-25kg, normally up towards the higher part with a long flight like that, but he only lost 10kg and put most of that back on in a couple of days. He's really bright and well.
"Jamie doesn't say much but the little smirk when he came off the track this morning was enough."
Light Infantry is the $4.50 favourite on TAB fixed odds for the Golden Eagle which has attracted a capacity field of 20 plus four emergencies for Australia's second richest race.