Jockey Damien Oliver will be looking to the colours carried to victory in the opening race at Sandown to provide him another Stakes race win at Caulfield.
Flying Concello took out the Join MRC For 2023/24 Handicap (1300m) on Wednesday for Lindsay Park trainers Ben and Jd Hayes and Oliver will wear those blue and pink silks of the owners aboard Nicolini Vito in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Oliver is chasing a fourth win in the Bletchingly Stakes in the past seven years having won the race on Lord Of The Sky (2016), Vega Magic (2017) and Viridine (2019).
The jockey will be reunited with Nicolini Vito having ridden the sprinter in three runs last year, including in a victory over 1400m at Flemington last year.
“I know the horse well and it’s the right sort of grade for him, I suppose,” Oliver said.
Nicolini Vito enters the Bletchingly having finished fifth, first-up, in the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 1.
Oliver said Saturday’s race could be a tricky one to work out with some better performed horses resuming from a spell against those that are race fit.
“You have to find that balance, whether the fit ones have got the ability on their side compared to the ones coming back and how forward they are and what sort of talent they are,” Oliver said.
“And the topliners are, they still three to four weeks away from their races.”
Oliver is trying to strike late in the season and put his name up as an early spring contender.
He registered a double at Flemington last Saturday and got on the board early at Sandown on Wednesday.
“I think people like to use jockeys that are in good form, so it’s nice to come back riding some winners and hopefully that can turn into some more winners for us,” Oliver said.
Oliver said Flying Concello still had some developing to do.
“I felt she was going to win a bit more comfortably than she did, but she got there and then waited a bit,” Oliver said.
“I was grateful the photo went our way.
“She feels like she will run over a little bit further, but she’s not fully developed yet, so there’s plenty of room for improvement.”