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By Ray Hickson

For a horse called Nosey Parker, the three-year-old doesn’t take a lot of interest in the early part of his races - and that’s something jockey Blake Spriggs says is important to remember ahead of Saturday’s Midway Handicap (1200m) at Randwick.

Jockey Blake Spriggs (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The in-form gelding has charged through his grades out of town in the past two months and Spriggs said he’s not sure exactly what has sparked Nosey Parker up but suspects the advice of the Paul Perry camp about patience is a contributing factor.

“They said to me when I started riding him they needed someone patient, who is happy to let him do his own thing early and not rush him and see if he will run home,’’ Spriggs said.

“He’s got to be ridden a certain way and that way is on show in his last three starts.

“He is a horse that’s not exactly easy to ride, you’ve got to let him run his own race early.

“You have to let him forget about the first half of the race but as the race goes on you can feel him growing in confidence and starting to pick up the bridle.”

Nosey Parker, $5.50 with TAB on Thursday, hasn’t actually won a maiden – he was beaten in five of them before breaking through for his first win in a Class 1 at Newcastle two months ago, he won another in mid-April and rounded up a Benchmark 64 on his home track three weeks back.

Spriggs said it’s funny to think five runs back, in mid-February, the horse was beaten in a Quirindi maiden and now comes to town a live chance.

“He’s been a real testament to the Perry camp getting the best out of him,’’ he said.

“On the wet track (two runs back) he was dominant but I was unsure of the depth of the race.

“The other day I had to take off early to chase after the leaders and he made up a lot of ground with a big weight and still stuck his neck out when the second horse came back at him.

“I was pretty impressed with that. If you’re going to come to town on a horse on the back of three wins going to a Midway is a perfect step.

“When you get into those ratings races at Newcastle on a Saturday a lot of them are like Midway races.”

Given Spriggs’s comments about how Nosey Parker is most effectively ridden, how will he play the Midway from barrier three?

“It means if he happens to jump and wants to travel I might be able to be in front of a couple, where if he drew wide he might have to be last and spot them those extra couple of lengths,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Spriggs is looking forward to his first ride on two-year-old Split Decision in the Robrick Lodge Handicap (1100m) given the affinity he has with the filly’s family.

Nosey Parker wins at Newcastle on May 20

She’s a half-sister to Headwall, also trained by Matt Smith, and there wouldn’t be many in her family tree that Spriggs hasn’t partnered to a win.

He wasn’t on board in her debut win at Newcastle and while he concedes she’s thrown in the deep end a little if she’s anything like Headwall she could be a surprise packet.

“She hadn’t shown a heap at the trials and to be fair Headwall was a bit like that in his first couple of trials,’’ he said.

“I know she’s a big price but being out of that family they are just winners, they get to the races and know how to win.

“There’s something there it’s just whether she’s ready this Saturday.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting