Racing: Trainer gives young rider nod

SYDNEY - Waikato trainer Jim Gibbs has no concerns over young jockey Cameron Lammas' ability to handle Kerry O'Reilly in the A$5 million ($5.7 million) Melbourne Cup next month.

Lammas, 22, has been out of his apprenticeship with Gibbs for just over a year and will have the biggest ride of his career in Australasia's most famous race on November 7.

"He's a confident rider and won't be bulldozed out of it by those jockeys in Melbourne," Gibbs said.

Gibbs has decided to bypass the Caulfield Cup on October 21 with Kerry O'Reilly because the horse had a tough run in the Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings last Saturday, flying home late for second to Legs.

Kerry O'Reilly will be flown to Melbourne on Tuesday and will have one run before the Melbourne Cup.

"It will either be at Geelong or Moonee Valley," Gibbs said. The Geelong Cup is on October 25 and the Moonee Valley Cup on October 28.

Gibbs said Kerry O'Reilly was a clean-winded horse who didn't require much racing to reach peak condition. The gelding won the Counties and Waikato Cups last season.

Gibbs said the horse's group of owners were keen to have a runner in the Melbourne Cup.

He had kept a 10 per cent share in his galloper Doriemus when it transferred to Lee Freedman's stable in 1995 before completing the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double that year.

There is a parallel with current boom stayer Sphenophyta, who shifted to Freedman's stable from the Waikato stable of Richard Otto at Te Awamutu two months ago. Otto and Mark Goodwin retained a 40 per cent ownership of Sphenophyta.

Kerry O'Reilly is a $71 chance with TAB Sportsbet in Australia for the Melbourne Cup while Sphenophyta is the $3.50 favourite for the Caulfield Cup and among the top fancies for the Melbourne Cup at $11.

* Kerry O'Reilly was 28th in the latest order of entry for the Melbourne Cup released yesterday. Just ahead of him were fellow New Zealanders Zabeat (26th) and Pentane (27th), while Envoy was the highest New Zealand-trained runner in 21st place.

- NZPA