Racing: Coleman happy to defend Kiwi pride

Experienced New Zealand jockey Michael Coleman feels honoured to be representing New Zealand on Xcellent in the Cox Plate today, but with a quip he sums up the enormity of his task.

"It's like one All Black versus the rest of Australia," he said.

And there's a South African and a Japanese horse to beat too.

But for someone on the verge of the biggest ride of his career, Coleman is remarkably relaxed. "Riding in the big races over here doesn't worry me."

Coleman, 36, has ridden 18 group one winners in New Zealand and one in Singapore and while Australian racing has a tough reputation for giving visiting jockeys no quarter, Coleman knows what to expect.

"You don't get any favours from any jocks in a group one race anywhere. At the end of the day it's just racing and you just go out there and do your job and hopefully things work out as planned."

- NZPA