2 days ago
Grateful apprentice Hannah Edgely shooting for third straight Saturday win at Flemington
A little more faith could take apprentice Hannah Edgley back to the Flemington winner's stall on Saturday.
The 3kg-claiming Edgley has ridden winners at the last two Saturday city meetings, including at the last Flemington meeting on June 7 aboard the Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin -trained Marble Nine.
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The Corstens and Larkin camp has provided another opportunity for Edgley to repeat last Saturday's shock win on Santa Ana Moon at Flemington for which the apprentice is thankful.
She will ride Umgawa for the stable in the Les Twentyman OAM Handicap (1420m).
'I'm really grateful for all the opportunities that I'm getting at the moment,' Edgley said.
'The Corstens stable have given me a couple of nice winners so if I could just keep getting the support and getting on the right horses, hopefully we can have a good winter.'
But the young rider will face a tough challenge aboard in-form stayer Slane in the Bruce Gadsden Handicap (2540m).
Cranbourne trainer Enver Jusufovic booked Edgley to ride Slane in the $150,000 race despite the apprentice being unable to use her 3kg claim.
Adding to Jusufovic's show of faith in Edgely was the fact he scratched Slane from an easier race at Sandown on Wednesday to tackle the quality handicap.
'I thought he had a big winning chance at Sandown so to scratch him and run him on Saturday is a massive thrill,' Edgley said.
'It makes me a little bit nervous as that's why many trainers put you on, because we have that advantage of the 3kg claim.
'As much as it is nerve-wracking, it's also exciting that they trust you to get the job done.'
Edgley rode Slane to a front-running win at Cranbourne two runs back before Jamie Mott steered the five-year-old to his latest win at Sandown on July 4.
While Edgley has won on Slane, she said she would attempt to follow the example Jye McNeil set when he led throughout to win the 2020 Melbourne Cup on Twilight Payment.
'It's not quite the distance of the Melbourne Cup but I might go back and watch Jye McNeil's ride and see how he led up the Cup and try and do the same thing,' Edgley said.
'He tows you up there in his own time and once he gets there, he sets the speed for you.
'He'll tell you what speed he wants to go.
'He's a big horse that likes stride along so you look to get as cheap a sectionals as you can on him and then you just roll into it.'
Slane is a $12 chance to give Edgley another Flemington win, which would also bring the apprentice closer to her short-term goal of getting her claim down to 2kg.
'I have another eight winners in town before I lose my 3(kg claim) and that's sort of my aim at the moment, to get down to 2kg,' Edgley said.
'It would be great to get through more but during the winter, I'm hoping to tick a few off in the next few weeks.'
