By Ray Hickson
Jockey Dylan Gibbons would like to think Wednesday’s Precise Air Handicap (2400m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday won’t be as high as lightly raced stayer Mama Joy can climb in her career.
Dylan Gibbons (Pic: Bradley Photos).
The four-year-old has won three of her seven starts and Gibbons is in line for a hat-trick on the John O’Shea & Tom Charlton-trained mare.
It was a month between runs after her easy win over 2100m at Gosford at the end of August into her narrow victory over a similar trip at Warwick Farm and Gibbons likes the three week turnaround this time.
“We probably realised she’s one who seems to thrive off her work,’’ Gibbons said.
“The start before she travelled well and quickened up and was a good, sharp, winner but she made hard work of it the other day.
“It was good to see her still pull out enough to win and you’d think a quicker turnaround up to 2400m should see her be a good hope again.”
Mama Joy, $3.30 with TAB on Tuesday, is bred to relish the 2400m and Gibbons said that’s the least of his concern with the mare.
She’ll be forced to carry top weight, and rises 2.5kg on her last start win, but the jockey said she appears well placed to continue her run of form.
“Her attitude, and the way she races I couldn’t see it being much of an issue,’’ he said.
“She’s a proper stayer, she does whatever you need and she saves every penny until the end.
“If anything she was a bit too cruisy the other day but she’s as good a ride as you’ll get.”
Gibbons partners Heuristic, a new recruit into the Bjorn Baker yard, in the Headwater @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1200m) and he says the gelding’s two trials suggests he can turn his form around.
The former Godolphin galloper had four unplaced runs for Peter Snowden last season but was a Group 3 winner as a younger horse so clearly has some ability.
“His form wasn’t the greatest last preparation so a change is as good as a holiday I loved his first trial, he was very sharp,” Gibbons said.
“It was probably a blessing they went quick in his second trial. It gave him that solid grounding.
“So he’s had two perfect trials to give himself every chance to go to the races and show that ability they thought he had all along when they purchased him.”
An unlucky first-up performance three weeks ago from Girijaala was better than it looks, Gibbons says so he’s expecting her to run well in the TAB Handicap (1400m).
She was beaten four lengths by Jellicious in a 1200m event but Gibbons said she would have finished a lot closer had things gone her way.
“Being first-up I left her alone early and she was probably a bit too casual and in doing so got right back,’’ he said.
Mama Joy wins at Warwick Farm on September 24
“We were getting the dream runs through the first half and when I needed to keep my momentum up and give her a flying run she had to stop, start, and come out wide.
“From a nice alley hopefully she can possie up a bit closer. It looks like it’s got a good amount of speed and I reckon she’ll run a lot better.”
All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting