Jockey Corey Brown has booked Absolutely for the Turnbull Stakes

As one of the top riders in the country you’d assume Corey Brown would have a string of top class rides leading into every main carnival and more than a few favourites by the time the Group 1 features roll around.

That’s not the case though and Brown says like any other non stable affiliated rider he has to bide his time and rely heavily on the work of his manager.

The phone calls have paid off somewhat already this spring with Brown booking Absolutely for the Turnbull Stakes on Sunday week.

The four year old mare is the AJC Oaks champion and Brown says he’s very pleased to have her going into the Group 1 event.

“I’m going down (to Melbourne) to ride in the Turnbull,” he said.

“I’ve watched all the replays during the week and more than happy to be taking her.”

Absolutely has had two runs back this prep finishing fifth first up in the Memsie Stakes and then sixth in the Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Brown is confident she’ll be travelling her best going into the third up run, especially as the journey steps out to ten furlongs.

“I think she’ll be great once she gets to the big track at Flemington,” he said.

“She didn’t flash at the line…I think she’s been rolling through the line nice and she’s suited to the 2000m.”

Brown says it’s not a choice to sit out and wait for a call up in the week or so before a race and that if he had his way he’d probably be following a horse from a long way out.

“I’m not one that likes to wait, it’s just been the circumstances I’ve been put in every spring carnival,” he said.

“I’ve never gone into a carnival with a headline horse, it’s just been the way I get rides sitting on the fence.”

The one exception to that was Shocking however Brown uses that as an example of how you can never be too confident about a horse either.

He says he had huge aspirations after Shocking’s success last spring and again during the autumn but after his Australian Cup win he was retired to stud leaving Brown high and dry.

He does have a couple he’s keen on following in addition to Absolutely though, the three year old Rekindled Alliance at the top of the list.

“I really like the horse Rekindled Alliance…I’m sort of banking on him to take me a fair way into the spring,” he said.

“Paul’s been happy with what he’s done, he hasn’t squeezed the horse 100 percent yet.”

Brown isn’t sure though whether the relationship will pay off this prep or maybe next year.

“He’s going to make the grade later on, it might be coming a little bit too quick for him,” he said.

“He’s going to go on bigger and better things.”