Racing: Hiking helps Nikolic shed weight for Caulfield Cup

SYDNEY - Danny Nikolic says he is on target to ride New Zealand galloper Sphenophyta at his lightest weight in eight years in Saturday's A$2.5 million ($2.85 milion) Caulfield Cup.

Nikolic has shed a couple of kilograms since gaining the ride after winning the Turnbull Stakes on Sphenophyta just over a week ago.

Connections have allowed the Hong Kong-based jockey to ride the gelding at 51kg, 1kg over its allotted weight.

He said he was 52kg on the weekend and would easily peel off 1kg before Saturday.

"I've been doing plenty of exercising, doing a lot of walking," Nikolic told the Herald Sun newspaper.

As part of his training regime, Nikolic has been hiking at Tai Po, a mountainous region in Hong Kong.

Although currently suspended, he has been a regular at trackwork. He rode nine horses at trackwork on Friday as well as riding in four trials.

Nikolic hasn't ridden at 51kg since he partnered On Air in the 1998 Caulfield Cup.

"The main thing is that I'm still strong at the weight," he said.

"I don't want to get there and be dehydrated straight away. The main thing is to keep focused. I'm going good."

Given what the horse did in the Turnbull Stakes, he deserved to be a strong, firm favourite.

Nikolic said Zipping would be the biggest danger to Sphenophyta if he made the field.

He believed Sphenophyta has the rest covered, but admitted the overseas horses were an unknown quantity.

"I don't know how good the internationals are, but it takes a special horse to get off the plane and win a Caulfield Cup at 2400m," he said.

"They have to turn up on the day and produce their best run and at least I know my horse has done a treat since he won the Turnbull. I know what my horse can do, that's the main thing."

- NZPA