Melbourne jockey Jack Hill has put his faith in Scarlet Billows and will ride the Darren Weir trained mare in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Club Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday before heading back to the doctor for shoulder surgery.
Jack HIll will ride Scarlet Billows, above, in the Tattersall’s Club Tiara at Eagle Farm. Photo by 16th Apr, 2016.
Hill was due to have a plate removed this week from his collar bone that he broke in a horrific fall in March 2015, but wasn’t going to give up a chance to ride in a Group 1 for Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir.
“I’ve had to go see the surgeon to get the plate out of my collarbone,” Hill told racing.com.
“When I had the fall, they put a plate in there and the skin is broken away, you can see the plate through the collarbone, it has to come out very, very soon.
“He wanted to take it out on Wednesday and I had to put him on the back foot, I’m pretty sure it comes out next Tuesday now.”
“He said it looks like it is getting infected so it needs to come out as soon as possible.
“I couldn’t throw away a Group 1 ride for Darren Weir and the owners have been very good to me.”
Hill is replacing the suspended John Allen who was aboard Scarlet Billows last start when fourth to Tatt’s Tiara rival Blueberry Hill in the Listed $100,000 Sky Racing Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) at Ipswich last Saturday.
Hill would like the result to be the same as his only other ride on the five year old mare when they combined for a debut win in an Ararat maiden back in September of 2013.
“I rode her in her first start at Ararat, she bolted in and I don’t think I’ve sat on her since then,” Hill said.
Scarlet Billows has visited the winner’s circle on six occasions from twenty-seven starts with her latest win being a, half length victory over French Emotion in the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m) at Caulfield on April 16.
Scarlet Billows has drawn barrier ten in the sixteen horse field and is listed as a $21 chance for the Tattersall’s Club Tiara at Ladbrokes.com.au who have the Ciaron Maher trained Azkadellia as the $2.40 favourite.
Azkadellia is coming off a last start failure as favourite when tenth to Under The Louvre in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 but she is still considered the horse to beat.
But her Autumn Carnival form before that was first class and included a win in the Group 1 $1m The Coolmore Legacy Stakes (Queen Of The Turf Stakes) (1600m) at Randwick on day two of ‘The Championships’ on April 9 followed by a second to Music Magnate in the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 28.
Market order for the Tattersall’s Club Tiara at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.40 Azkadellia, $5.50 Danish Twist, $8 Precious Gem, Cradle Me, $15 Artistry, $21 Scarlet Billows, My Popette, Blueberry Hill, $26 Jessy Belle, Sultry Feeling, $31 Miss Cover Girl, $41 Press Report, Palazzo Pubblico, Echo Gal, Onemorezeta, $61 Beatniks.
