Jockey Linda Meech has been called up to ride the Peter Moody trained Moment Of Change in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Meech is Moody’s regular rider throughout country Victoria and secured the ride on the promising three year old after Blake Shinn was suspended for nine meetings for careless in the Autumn Classic at Caulfield last Saturday.
Shinn rode Moment Of Change in his first appearance in Sydney when he raced with the leaders before winding up in third place behind Hot Snitzel in the Group 2 $175,000 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm on February 18.
Meech has had a long association with Moody dating back to when she was apprenticed to the number one trainer and is currently riding in the best form of her career bagging four winners at Wodonga last Saturday.
She is currently on sixty-one winners for the season even though she took a months break in January and is keen to get a chance to win a Group 2 race.
“I had January off. I got a bit tired and was a bit worn out,” Meech said.
Meech is looking forward to returning to Sydney where she was based for a couple of years before heading back to Victoria in 2008.
“It was great. I met lots of nice people and made quite a few friends so it was a good time,” she said.
Moody has no hesitation calling on Meech who has already handled Moment Of Change to two wins before he was spelled and sent to his Rosehill stables.
As is Moody’s pattern for a lot of his young horses, a trip to the country tracks is quite often on the cards to educate and gain the experience of racing and travelling.
Moment Of Change was no exception and Meech was aboard when he romped home by ten lengths in a maiden at Murtoa last August.
Meech was again the rider when the three year old scored another easy win over 1300m in a restricted 3yo Handicap at Sandwon on September 14.
“He’s a pretty good horse. Hopefully he will acquit himself well on Saturday,” Meech said.
Moment Of Change is facing similar opposition to when he was third in the Royal Sovereign and is on the third line of betting at $7 behind Manawanui ($2.10 fav) and Hot Snitzel ($5).
Meech is also riding Mr Make Believe for Moody in the Endeavour Foundation Recycled Clothing Handicap (1500m) and with a great wet track record has a top chance with Rosehill being rated a heavy 9.
She is happy to be back aboard the five year old having won four of her five rides on him in country Victoria from Bairnsdale to Kilmore and Bendigo.
“He’s one of my old favourites so it will be nice to ride him,” Meech said.
“He will be suited on a wet track.”
