Another Staying Test For Lovethebeaches
- Sunday, 28 June 2015 08:17
Paul King has put his fellow Queensland Cup jockeys on notice he will ride Lovethebeaches exactly the same as he did to win the Stayers' Cup.
But that does not necessarily mean she will lead.
Lovethebeaches cleared out by as much as 25 lengths in the 3200m race at Randwick on June 6, prompting Racing NSW stewards to haul all other riders in for questioning.
Although a couple of riders had excuses, chief steward Ray Murrihy told several they should have got going a lot sooner.
King did nothing but let the Steve Hodge-trained mare settle into her own rhythm and that is what he will do again in Saturday's distance test at the Sunshine Coast.
"I will just let her roll at her own pace," King said.
"She doesn't have to lead. If she is happy to be midfield that's where we'll be.
"And if we happen to lead that's fine as well.
"One thing we do know is that she can run two miles."
The mare won the Stayers Cup by five lengths to prompt Hodge to target the $150,000 Listed race in Queensland.
The Queensland Cup is one of only a handful of stakes races left in Australasia over the Melbourne Cup distance.
King produced another front-running ride at Rosehill on Saturday to win a 1200m race on Two Blue who is trained by Kristen Buchanan at Wyong.
The mare had been narrowly beaten in a similar race two weeks earlier.
Formerly from Perth, King made the move to Sydney 18 months ago and travels around the state to ride.
His early momentum was halted when he fractured a kneecap in a barrier mishap at Kembla Grange.
His career also includes riding stints in Malaysia, Macau, Mauritius and Qatar.
