Racing: Pride at stake for top jockey

Jockeys rarely need a whole lot more incentive when there is a group one and $200,000 at stake.

But followers of Hastings visitor Jimmy Choux in the Auckland Diamond Stakes (1200m) have arguably the most powerful motivator of all working in their favour at Ellerslie today - professional pride.

The super-competitive Jonathan Riddell - a leading jumps rider before switching to flat riding again in 2008 - is hell-bent on redemption after openly admitting to botching the two-year-old's last-start chances at New Plymouth.

Riddell had Jimmy Choux travelling sweetly for most of the group three $70,000 Waikato Stud Classic (1200m), but became hemmed in by arch-rival Cellarmaster at a crucial stage.

After severely checking off heels in the straight the pair did well to finish jammed up behind the placegetters, still full of steam in sixth place.

The first three home at New Plymouth - Icepin, the unlucky Charma and Cellarmaster - are all rivals again today.

"As soon as he got back to the birdcage on the horse Jonathan said he absolutely butchered it and cost you the race," said trainer John Bary.

"Jonathan's a competitor - it hurts him more than it hurts us to lose.

"But we've accepted it and just said to him it's better this happened in a group three than a group one."

The biggest positive Bary and Hawkes Bay owners Richard and Liz Wood took out of the New Plymouth miss was that at least the horse had the experience of racing in behind the speed. With so much early pace likely today that could be a crucial factor in the horse nabbing its fourth career win in just seven starts.

Jimmy Choux could also benefit from racing on the inside of another runner to help him negotiate his first race-day attempt right-handed.

Bary, however, doubts the clock-wise direction will be a major issue for the consummate professional who has "known what to do from day one".

Bary, a strike-rate star in just his second season of training, admits the Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes on April 3 had been the Thorn Park colt's main group one target this season.

But the camp threw Ellerslie into the mix after the group two Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner shrugged off the New Plymouth miss like he'd never left his box.

Jimmy Choux arrived at his temporary Clevedon base on Thursday and Bary is thrilled with the way he's settled in.

Today's raid is Bary's second to Ellerslie - he brought Chateau north to run 13th in the Dunstan Stayers' Final on New Year's Day - and his second group one shot.

He saddled The Hombre in the Levin Classic last November - the race in which Riddell won his first group one aboard Eileen Dubh - but Bary admits his three-year-old star was feeling the ground and in hindsight shouldn't have run.

Still, it's been a standout season for Bary, who has trained 16 winners from just 77 attempts.

Bary made the plunge into full-time training with the support of the Woods, whose arsenal of winners included 1996 Sydney Cup winner Count Chivas.

Bary is indebted to their continued backing, particularly in the face of what he says has been "massive money" offers for Jimmy Choux from Hong Kong.

"I own a quarter share of The Hombre and when we were offered big money for him I know how hard it was to turn it down," said Bary.

"But you can't buy the type of advertising you get from having a horse like him and Jimmy Choux."