Angland Answers Sargent SOS In G1 Vinery

Tye Angland will become the eighth jockey in nine Australian starts to ride Thunder Lady but the filly's trainer expects the rider's Rosehill booking to coincide with a return to form.

Winner of the Wakeful Stakes and runner-up to Set Square in the VRC Oaks during the Melbourne spring carnival, Thunder Lady was supposed to have been ridden by James McDonald in the Group One Vinery Stakes on Saturday.

But Thunder Lady's owners gave McDonald a release to ride First Seal, nomimal favourite for the 2000m race.

Trainer John SargentTrainer John Sargent

In the absence of McDonald, trainer John Sargent turned to Thunder Lady's Wakeful-winning jockey only to learn Blake Shinn would be riding for family when he takes the mount on Fenway for Lee and Shannon Hope.

Angland rode Thunder Lady in a piece of work at Randwick on Tuesday and Sargent said the filly continued to improve in a campaign aimed at the ATC Australian Oaks.

"The way she is working she is coming together well and she'll be at her peak from Saturday onwards," Sargent said.

"You'd expect a nice run on Saturday, see her hitting the line and be bang on for the Oaks."

Thunder Lady ran on from last to finish fifth in the Keith F Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange and she will meet the three placegetters - Slightly Sweet, Wine Tales and Heavens Above - better at the weights.

Sargent has also entered Gust Of Wind, a winner at Scone and Hawkesbury at her past two starts, but she is likely to be reserved for the Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick on Saturday week.

In lightly raced Omeros, Sargent will know if he has an ATC Australian Derby horse after the Tulloch Stakes.

Omeros has been to the races twice but he won like a stayer of the future when stepped up to 1600m at Wyong.

"He's coming to the city and it's a big step up but you've got to push them to see if they are up to it," Sargent said.

"But at least he's going the right way at the right time."