Centre Pivot To Resume At Rosehill Gardens

Centre Pivot has been included in the 2015 Jockey Celebration Day Handicap field and will start what new trainer John Sargent believes will be a successful spring campaign at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Centre Pivot finished his summer/autumn campaign with three impressive victories. Photo by: Steve Hart

Centre Pivot finished his summer/autumn campaign with three impressive victories. Photo by: Steve Hart

Centre Pivot was transferred from the care of John O’Shea to Sam Kavanagh before the start of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival and the More Than Ready gelding worked his way through the grades in impressive fashion.

He stamped himself as a horse to follow when he beat Saintly Lad to score a dominant four and a half lengths victory in the TAB Rewards Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 3 and he proved that was no fluke at Royal Randwick on January 24 before he was sent to the spelling paddock following his tough win over Black Jag and Koroibete in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 7.

Centre Pivot joined the Sargent stable just over a couple of months ago and he has done enough in two barrier trials at Royal Randwick on June 23 and Rosehill Gardens on July 7 to convince his new trainer that he could be worthy of a trip to Melbourne for the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.

“He’s trialled well, you’d think it would be a bit short for him fresh up because he’s going to be getting up over a mile-and-a-half but he’s fit and well and it’s a good race to kick off in with him,” Sargent told AAP.

“It will be interesting to see what level we can get him through to and whether he’s good enough to get down to Melbourne.”

Centre Pivot will jump from barrier two when he carries 59.5 kilograms in the Jockey Celebration Day Handicap, but he is not the top weight as veteran sprinter Howmuchdoyouloveme has been allocated 62.5 kilograms by Racing New South Wales handicappers.

Howmuchdoyouloveme took out the 2012 edition of the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1200m) and he was far from disgraced behind Mental in the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m), but he has been plagued by injuries in recent years and he has not recorded a race win since he carried the top weight of 60 kilograms to victory in the 2013 edition of the Group 2 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

The resuming Adorabeel, Gai Waterhouse-trained Countryman, the out of form Fine Bubbles, last start winner Idance, Lee Curtis-trained Turbulent Jet, Moruya-based Jacakaizane, the consistent Casual Choice and Bjorn Baker-trained Coolring round out the 2015 Jockey Celebration Day Handicap.

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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.