Trish Dunell
Top Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman has been booked to ride Melody Belle in the Gr.1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday week.
“We had originally approached Hugh to ride Melody Belle in the Light Fingers, but he was unavailable and subsequently suspended anyway, so we engaged Blake Shinn, but he was then also suspended,” Fortuna Syndications director John Galvin said.
“In the end, Rory Hutchings stepped into the breach and did a good job for us in the Light Fingers.
We were approached by Hugh Bowman’s agent seeking the ride on the filly in the Surround Stakes so we have been around in a bit of a circle, but we are extremely happy to have Hugh aboard.”
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Melody Belle finished fifth in the Gr.2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) in her Sydney debut.