Important mounts for Jim Cassidy

Press, 12 May 1984, Page 21

Important mounts for Jim Cassidy

NZPA-AAP Brisbane The New Zealand jockey, Jim Cassidy, has picked up an important mount in La Caissiere in today’s $50,000 Queensland guineas (1600 m at Eagle Farm in his quest to firmly establish himself with Australian stables. Cassidy, who has turned his back on winning the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership this season to try his luck in Australia, earlier this week gained the choice ride on the former New Zealand galloper, Open the Door, in today’s Castlemaine Gold Flying (1400 m To ride for two of Australia’s top stables—Tommy Smith (Open the Door) and Neville Begg (La Caissiere)—within a week of his

arriving in Brisbane is testimony to the high regard held of him by those trainers. “It’s certainly been a big week for me to be recognised so soon—l only hope I can deliver the goods,” Cassidy said on Thursday at the final Eagle Farm track trials for the Guineas meeting. Cassidy was lucky enough to pick up the Open the Door and La Caissiere rides through the unavailability of their respective regular riders, Mick Dittman, who is suspended, and Ron Quinton, who has decided to stay in Sydney in a bid to extend his lead in the premiership. Cassidy is really poised for his share of Brisbane’s record $3.5 million winter racing carnival as he will

also ride the New Zealander, Compromise, in the $lOO,OOO Prime Minister’s Cup (2015 m at Southport on May 23. “I will also be riding Bruce Marsh’s big team at the carnival,” Cassidy said yesterday. “Compromise and about six horses from the Marsh stable are coming over in a big airlift from New Zealand next Tuesday.” Marsh already has the Galaxy winner, Mr Illusion, settling in at Brisbane’s Deagon training centre and Cassidy said he will probably have the mount when the sprinter opens his Queensland campaign in next Saturday’s $35,000 White Lightning Handicap (1000 m