Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance will have his third jockey in as many starts when he lines up in the Group 1 $500,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Irish jockey John Allen, above, will ride Prince Of Penzance in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Irishman John Allen takes over from Harry Coffey who rode the Darren Weir trained Prince Of Penzance in his 2016 Spring Carnival opener when he could only beat one runner home when eleventh behind stablemate Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 $500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 27.
At his previous start his regular rider and his Melbourne Cup winning partner Michelle Payne was on board for a second to Tonopah in the Group 3 $150,000 Robert & Fay Gerard R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 21 at his first start since winning Australia’s most famous race.
Even though Weir wasn’t completely happy with Coffey’s ride in the Memsie Stakes, stable manager Jeremy Rogers said that Coffey hasn’t been sacked from the Melbourne Cup winner, but was required by the stable to ride in Adelaide on Saturday.
Coffey will team up with the Fastnet Rock three year old Canalasso in the Listed $100,000 Goldin Farms Morphettville Guineas (1600m) at Morphettville.
“Harry will ride Canalasso in the Morphettville Guineas,” Rogers said.
“He’s been doing a good job for us and he knows the Adelaide tracks well.”
While the Melbourne Cup ride on Prince Of Penzance is still up in the air with Michelle Payne still not back race riding as she continues to recover from injuries she received in a fall at Mildura in May, Coffey is booked to ride stalemate Signoff throughout the Spring Carnival.
The 1600m of the Makybe Diva Stakes is still way short of Prince Of Penzance’s favourite distance and this is reflected in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au who have him marked at $34 for Saturday’s weight for age contest.
High profile stablemate Black Heart Bart is a short priced $2.10 favourite to claim back to back Group 1 victories following is first up win in the Memsie Stakes.
Australian Guineas winner Palentino, also from the powerful Weir stable, is on the second line of betting at $6 just ahead of 2015 Victoria Derby winner Tarzino at $8.50 and Doomben Cup victor Our Ivanhowe at $11.
Market order for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.10 Black Heart Bart, $6 Palentino, $8.50 Tarzino, $11 Our Ivanhowe, $13 Rising Romance, $15 Alpine Eagle, Entirely Platinum, He Or She, $21 Sofia Rosa, $26 Happy Trails, $31 Tashbeeh, $34 Prince Of Penzance, $41 Tally, $201 Ayres Rock
