BRISBANE - Shane Dye will be a surprise new rider replacing Chris Munce on New Zealand mare Diaga following a nomination mix-up for the O'Shea Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Munce partnered the Kinjite mare to an impressive win over 2200 metres at Doomben last Saturday but took the ride on the Frank and Craig Ritchie-trained Bluebird The Wood in the O'Shea under the belief Diaga would not be backing up in the weight-for-age race.
However, trainer Les Didham opted to run Diaga for the third consecutive week in the O'Shea after the five-year-old pulled up in magnificent order following her Doomben victory.
"She's thriving and running three weeks in a row won't worry her," Didham said.
"She needs the run to get the mileage into her so she can run two miles (3200m) in the Brisbane Cup."
Diaga's owners will fly into Brisbane on Friday night to watch the O'Shea and Didham has left them the decision of selecting a Brisbane Cup rider.
The Queensland Turf Club today received 21 first acceptors for the race on June 12.
Both Munce and Dye have other Brisbane Cup offers, but Munce's manager Bruce Clark said Diaga was Munce's Brisbane Cup preference.
"We'll see how she goes for Shane Dye on Saturday but whatever happens in the O'Shea I'll sit the owners down after the race and they can choose who they want to ride her," Didham said.
Munce's victory on Diaga and his reputation as one of Australia's premier distance riders is sure to figure prominently in Brisbane Cup discussions when connections confer over their Cup rider.
He has won the Brisbane Cup three times, his first aboard Grooming in 1992 before Desert Chill captured it twice in 1995 and 1997, and won the country's premier staying event, the Melbourne Cup, aboard Jezabeel in 1998.
Munce, who also won an AJC Metropolitan on Hula Flight and Queensland Derby on Valance, will be looking for his first Queensland Oaks winner aboard the Roger James-trained Giovana.
James rates Giovana a stronger staying filly than Melora who finished third in the Queensland Oaks and second in the Queensland Derby two years ago.
- NZPA
Racing: Dye secures mount on Diaga
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