Sydney jockey Black Shinn is the new rider for Prince Harada in the Group 3 $135,000 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday after three time Melbourne Cup winning rider Damien Oliver elected to partner Bull Point for Gai Waterhouse.
Sydney jockey Blake Shinn is the new rider for Prince Harada. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Oliver shocked Caulfield trainer Tony Vasil when he informed him that he would be riding the Waterhouse colt on Saturday after Prince Harada trialled exceptionally well with Oliver on board last Tuesday.
“Ollie rode Prince Harada in a trial at Caulfield on Tuesday morning and the colt went exceptionally well. Then he jumped off, which staggered me,” Vasil told the Herald Sun.
“But that’s part of racing.”
Oliver has had one race ride on Prince Harada with the son of Haradasun finishing a luckless sixth to Long John in the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in the Spring before heading for the spelling paddock.
Bull Point will also be having his first run since the Spring and hasn’t started since an eye catching third to multi-million dollar colt Zoustar in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in September.
Vasil has always held a very high opinion of Prince Harada and has always labelled the lightly raced three year old a potential Group 1 winner.
“He is a Group 1 horse waiting to happen,” Vasil said.
“If all goes well, we may then tackle some of the big prizemoney in Sydney.”
Oliver did give Vasil some compensation for his decision to dump Prince Harada when he booted home Richie’s Vibe in the Group 2 $220,000 Essendon Mazda Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last Friday night.
Bull Point and Prince Harada will both be heading on a similar Autumn Carnival path heading towards the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1 and a possible clash with Cox Plate winner Shamus Award.
Betting markets have Prince Harada and Shamus Award fighting out the top spot in the Australian Guineas around the $8 and $9 mark with Bull Point hovering around $15.
