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History-making jockey Angela Jones feels like she owes a lot to Zarastro and she can’t think of a better horse to ride in her first Sydney race.
The Queensland jockey heads to Rosehill on Saturday to partner the Tony Gollan-trained seven-year-old in the group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m), which this year carries the title of the JRA Plate.
Sydney-bound jockey Angela Jones will be on board Zarastro on Saturday. Credit: Racing Photos via Getty Images
The opportunity is just one coming Jones’ way after last season becoming the first female rider to claim the Queensland metropolitan premiership.
The 24-year-old rode a winning double at Ellerslie at her first New Zealand meeting on New Year’s Day and has also been invited to next month’s International Jockeys’ Challenge in Saudi Arabia.
A first chance to ride in Sydney came after a change of plans for Zarastro, a horse she has ridden to five wins and a second behind Joliestar in the group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup. A water-walker injury ruined Zarastro’s shot at back-to-back wins in the $1 million Magic Millions Snippets, but a dominant trial victory at Deagon on January 20 convinced Gollan to carry on and find another target.
Jones has the two rides at Rosehill, but she was happy to sacrifice a bigger book at home to stick with the former Chris Waller-trained veteran.
“I’m always keen to go wherever Zarastro’s going, he’s been very good to me and I think it’s good they have let me stick with him, so I never turn the opportunity down,” Jones said.
“I feel like he’s been a lot of firsts for me. I think he was my first listed winner, then my first group win and first $1 million race win, at the Magic Millions.
“He’s been a pretty special horse to me … the opportunity is there to go ride somewhere new, and it’s a good experience. You usually learn a lot from new places, too.
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