Matthew Cameron
Trish Dunell
Matt Cameron will be in the hot seat at Riccarton where his judgement will face a classic test.
The top jockey has opted to ride Hall Of Fame over stablemate Heroic Valour in Saturday's Gr.1 Sothys NZ 2000 Guineas.
"I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't, but I had to make a decision," Cameron said.
Cameron, who won the Guineas on Xtravagant last year, rode Hall Of Fame and Heroic Valour in work at Riccarton on Tuesday morning for trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards before making his mind up.
"They both worked really well and it probably came down to ringcraft," he said. "Hall Of Fame can race on the pace and take bad luck out of the equation.
"It's not a big field and the race might become quite tactical. It could be leader dominated and Mongolian Falcon, Ugo Foscolo and my horse are all likely to run on the pace and kick really well."
Hall Of Fame has recorded easy wins at his last two starts and was making his black-type debut when bolting away from four rivals in the Listed Zacinto Stakes at his last appearance. The ride on Heroic Valour has gone to Michael McNab.
Cameron has also chosen to ride Imperium over Maygrove, who now will be partnered by Opie Bosson, in the Listed Gold Club Metropolitan Trophy.
His decision to ride Imperium was made less stressful by the fact that he will not be available for either horse in the Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup a week later.
He will instead be at Tauranga to partner Volkstok'n'barrell in the Gr.2 Preston Rowe Patterson, Property Valuers Tauranga Stakes. – NZ Racing Desk.
The top jockey has opted to ride Hall Of Fame over stablemate Heroic Valour in Saturday's Gr.1 Sothys NZ 2000 Guineas.
"I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't, but I had to make a decision," Cameron said.
Cameron, who won the Guineas on Xtravagant last year, rode Hall Of Fame and Heroic Valour in work at Riccarton on Tuesday morning for trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards before making his mind up.
"They both worked really well and it probably came down to ringcraft," he said. "Hall Of Fame can race on the pace and take bad luck out of the equation.
"It's not a big field and the race might become quite tactical. It could be leader dominated and Mongolian Falcon, Ugo Foscolo and my horse are all likely to run on the pace and kick really well."
Hall Of Fame has recorded easy wins at his last two starts and was making his black-type debut when bolting away from four rivals in the Listed Zacinto Stakes at his last appearance. The ride on Heroic Valour has gone to Michael McNab.
Cameron has also chosen to ride Imperium over Maygrove, who now will be partnered by Opie Bosson, in the Listed Gold Club Metropolitan Trophy.
His decision to ride Imperium was made less stressful by the fact that he will not be available for either horse in the Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup a week later.
He will instead be at Tauranga to partner Volkstok'n'barrell in the Gr.2 Preston Rowe Patterson, Property Valuers Tauranga Stakes. – NZ Racing Desk.
