Billy Egan chasing more success with Patrick and Michelle Payne on Finals day at Flemington
Egan rode a double a fortnight ago at Headquarters to help the Payne partnership secure a personal best four winners on the card.
Egan has only two rides on Saturday but could hold up his end of the bargain on Buccleuch (Listed Taj Rossi Series Final) and Jimmy The Bear (Listed Winter Championship Series Final).
Buccleuch has progressed again since a dominant 1400m Flemington success.
Egan said the extra distance to 1600m on Saturday should not be a problem.
'He's ticking over nicely,' Egan said.
'He surprised how well (he won last start) … he's putting it together and I'd say there's still good more improvement in him, maturity wise.
'I can't see why (1600m) would be (an issue) … only his fifth start, so we'll find out on the day.'
Buccleuch travelled comfortably behind the speed last start and surged past in the straight for an effortless 2¼-length win from Arcora.
Buccleuch is $1.70 favourite to repeat the performance, with Arcora a solid $4.60 second elect.
Patrick Payne has won the Taj Rossi twice the past five years with Quang Tri (2022) and Cherry Tortoni (2020).
Egan will also ride Jimmy The Bear for the first time this campaign, with rising star apprentice jockey Tom Prebble unavailable due to suspension.
Jimmy The Bear has been in career-best form, finished in the top two the past four starts including two wins.
'(Prebble has) ridden it super,' Egan said.
'Patty has looked after him (Jimmy The Bear) so well, like he does with all his older horses.
'A really genuine horse with a good attitude, so you knew he was going to do something like this.'
Jimmy The Bear finished 3¼ lengths behind Winter Championship favourite Oh Too Good two starts back at Flemington.
The six-year-old gelding rebounded with a dominant win last start.
Jimmy The Bear has drawn outside Oh Too Good on Saturday, barriers 13 and 14 respectively, so the start is crucial for both Winter Championship contenders.
'I'll figure it out as we go,' Egan said.
'(Oh Too Good) landed a fair few spots in front of Jimmy last run,' Egan said.
'We might be back a little further (from the barrier) … I'll figure it out as we go, see what happens.'
Zorro's Flight (Silver Bowl), Bold Soul (Banjo Paterson) and Frontline Action and Silver Pledge (Mahogany Challenge).
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News.com.au
30 minutes ago
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Australian relay teams win gold on day one of world swimming championships
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"It was a pleasure to race the Olympic champion, world record holder and now world champion, so I knew he was going to be a tough opponent. "I'm really proud of how hard I pushed myself and you know, .02, it's not the end of the world, silver medal, I get to get back on the podium and long meet to come." He said the result was some consolation after a disappointing campaign at the Paris Olympic Games, where he was a chance to win the gold medal in the 400m freestyle but narrowly missed bronze in the final. He then missed the finals of the 800m and 1500m and dubbed his Olympic Games "a failure". As to why he swam slower in the evening than his morning time, which would have won gold, he said in hindsight he could have gone slower in his heat swim. "I felt comfortable this morning, I actually felt I could have gone 3:40 this morning," he said. "So, you know just a high-pressure environment, backing that up, small turnaround and also a great field as well. "When I was with him with 100 to go, I knew it was going to be a dogfight — he's a pretty good level, he's the world record holder. "I knew I wasn't going to be pulling away and I was hurting as well. "I've got a good finish on me, and it wasn't quite good enough today." Short still has swims in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events and the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. In the women's 400m freestyle final, Lani Pallister was in second until the 250m mark, but faded to finish fourth behind world record holder Summer McIntosh. China's Bingjie Li was second, with US veteran Katie Ledecky in third. McIntosh's campaign to claim five individual gold medals at a world championships is on track and while her time of 3:56.26 is more than two seconds slower than the world record she set earlier this year, it was still two seconds faster than Li. Pallister's time of 3:58.87 was a personal best. "I think fourth is a bit shit, but if it's fourth and a PB you can't really ask for more," Pallister said. Pallister said a young girl from Singapore had given her a pin with a picture of her when she was five. She said she was looking at the pin as she made her way into the pool on Sunday night. "That little girl would think that I was like the coolest person in the world, to be standing in that final, let alone being fourth," she said. Another Australian, Pallister's lifelong friend Jamie Perkins, was sixth in a personal best time of 4:03.2. Perkins said she was "pretty disappointed", despite the personal best time, but said she was learning. "I'm still young, so see what we get moving forward," Perkins said.