2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes: Winks To Suit Deep Field

Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes has revealed that he is happy to have James Winks on Deep Field in the 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington tomorrow and believes that the talented hoop will suit the star sprinter.

Deep Field is currently on top of 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

Deep Field is currently on top of 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart

Team Hawkes were forced to find a new jockey for Deep Field after regular hoop Dwayne Dunn was suspended for careless riding at Caulfield last weekend and they elected to offer the plumb ride to Winks.

Winks has not done a great deal of riding for Team Hawkes, but there stable were happy with the way he rode talented colt Headwater on debut at Moonee Valley on December 27 and Wayne Hawkes told Racing Ahead that he was more than happy to give the ride in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes to the three-time Group 1 winner.

“He has a great set of hands and we had to pick somebody,” Hawkes said.

“There were obviously plenty to choose from, but he rode Headwater at Moonee Valley the other day perfect for us and did exactly what we asked him to do.

“When you have a bit of success with somebody it is amazing how it just follows on.

“We just thought that he would really suit the horse.

“It is about the pressure and I hope that he goes out there and just enjoys it.”

Deep Field will be having just his second race start down the famous Flemington straight after he took out the Group 2 Salinger Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

In the Salinger Stakes Deep Field never looked particularly comfortable and had his head titled to one side, but Hawkes said that the son of Northern Meteor was slightly spooked by the massive Victoria Derby Day crowd and is confident that there will be no repeat in the 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

“Dwayne Dunn said that he just saw the crowd and went what the because he had all his runs at Gosford and Canterbury,” Hawkes said.

“All of a sudden you have 100,000 maniacs on Derby Day and that is a different crowd to what any horse has ever seen before.

“There won’t be that sort of crowd here on Saturday and to be fair to the horse that was his fifth run in his first racing prep and he did a big job to do that.

“I wouldn’t say that he was running on empty, but that was obviously the end of his campaign and he still got the job done.”

Deep Field is currently available at 2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes odds of $2.30 with Ladbrokes and is a narrow favourite from Lankan Rupee ($2.50) and Brazen Beau ($5).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.