Cup ride for Oakeshott

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 22

Cup ride for Oakeshott

By

DAVID McCARTHY

Jackie Oakeshott, the Riccarton jockey who rode Blazing Voodoo into a meritorious third placing in the Lion Brown New

Zealand Cup in November, has been engaged to ride the gelding in the Foster’s Wellington Cup tomorrow. Oakeshott was contacted by the connections of Blazing Voodoo during the week and did not hesitate to accept the ride.

"I might never get another chance to ride in a race like that,” she said yesterday. Blazing Voodoo, a Norfolk Air six-year-old, which had won only three races when he took on the Riccarton feature, was the surprise packet of that race running on stoutly behind Empire Rose and Prince Avila after being trapped wide much of the way. He paid place odds of nearly 20/1 and proved that the distance at least will be no problem for him tomorrow. Oakeshott was somewhat surprised to get the call to go to Trentham but her ability to ride light and her record with the horse ensured deep consideration from Blazing Voodoo’s trainer, Davina Waddell. It will not be the first time Oakeshott has ridden at Trentham but her last

engagement there was four and a half years ago when she rode Afore Ye for her then employer, Garth Jackson, in the Winter Oats.

Oakeshott is not one to spend much time promoting her own achievements but few women riders in New Zealand and none others in the South Island, can match her consistent success in middle distance feature races.

She won the New Zealand Cup Trial on Beks at Riccarton in October and previous successes include a Great Autumn Handicap on Flag Lieutenant, a Kumara Gold Nuggets on Cahir (on which she was a close second in the Invercargill Gold Cup) a Hororata Cup (Flag Lieutenant) Hokitika Cup (Vrinsk) Waimate Cup (Insoluble) and Geraldine Cup (Pamdora).

A number of those have been on front runners, the Oakeshott judgment of pace being well above average and it could be a suitable role for Blazing Voodoo tomorrow with his light weight. Oakeshott’s Wellington trip means a number of southern and former southern riders will be in the north this week-end. Chris Johnson and Grant Davison hold engagements at Trentham also while Keith Kenyon and Dean Morel are apprentices who are doing stints in stables of Central Districts trainers.