Mikayla Weir’s natural ability around a horse served her well on Monday and Dubbo trainer Kody Nestor will be hoping it’s the same on Tuesday.
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Weir piloted the Brett Cavanough-trained Mick The Hat to an impressive win at Scone on Monday and she heads to Dubbo Turf Club on Tuesday, where she has three rides.
One of those is aboard Nestor’s Living Choice in the Iron Jack Benchmark 58 Handicap – Heat of the Rising Star (1600m).
An event purely for apprentice jockeys, former rodeo rider Weir will ride Living Choice from wide out in barrier 15.
After showing her ability under pressure at Scone, she will be out to help Nestor’s gelding improve on a last-start third-placed finish.
“She’s developing,” Cavanough said of Weir when talking to Sky Thoroughbred Central on Monday.
“She’s got no claim but she’s a good girl and she’s just a horse girl. She used to be around the rodeo.”
The win at Scone was eye-catching given Weir and Mick The Hat were pushed for much of the journey by He’s Our Toy Boy.
They were side-by-side until turning for home, where Weir got Mick The Hat to kick clear and on to a strong victory while He’s Our Toy Boy faded out of contention.
The same kind of race pattern is unlikely with Living Choice at Dubbo on Tuesday.
Living Choice isn’t expected to be battling for the lead early, rather Weir is likely to sit deep and attempt to come home over the top of the field late on.
Living Choice was one of four horses at $6.50 on Monday afternoon, all on the second line of betting behind early $5.50 favourite George Two.
The Gayna Williams-trained George Two will be ridden by Qin Yong.
Other leading contenders include the Brett Thompson-trained Fair Fragments, which will be ridden by Katelyn Jenkinson in its search for a third successive win, and the Cameron Crockett-trained pair of The Frick and Bolly.
The Rising Stars heat is the fifth overall this season and the second to be run in the Central and Western districts.
The first of those was one by the talented Jean Van Overmeire at Orange on October 15.
Sam Weatherly won two of the other heats, while Cejay Graham and Robbie Dolan has also enjoyed victories.
Weir finished second behind Weatherly during his second win at Warwick Farm.
The Rising Stars heat is one of seven races to be contested at Dubbo on Thursday.
The Hahn Super Dry 3.5 Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1000m also shapes as an intriguing event with Escebee taking on the likes of regarded sprinters Shadow Force, Postmaster General, and Yeas And Nays in his hunt for a third successive win for trainer Mark Milton.
Yong will ride Escebee while the Dennis Bush-trained Yeas And Nays has the benefit of champion jockey Greg Ryan in the saddle.
Racing starts at 1.15pm at Dubbo on Tuesday with the Heat of the Rising Stars the fourth race on the card at 3.05pm.