Jockey John Powell will be hoping for third time lucky when he rides The Hornet in the Group 2 $300,000 Chairman’s Trophy over 1800m on Friday night.
Not a regular rider for the Michael Clements stable, Powell hasn’t got off to a good start for the trainer in just two rides.
First time out aboard The Hornet on July 11, Powell was dislodged from the gelding soon after the start then last Sunday, riding Natalia, Powell was lucky to stay in the saddle after the gelding also knuckled at the jump.
Powell is hoping for better luck on Friday night aboard The Hornet, a galloper with immense talent on his day.
He trialled the gelding over 1000m last week and said The Hornet was coming to hand in good fashion.
The Hornet, previously prepared by Douglas Dragon, was having his first start for Clements in the Group 3 Saas Fee Stakes over 1400m when Powell was dislodged soon after the start.
Riderless, The Hornet was first across the finishing line after racing around the field to hit the lead on the hometurn.
Powell said The Hornet had been a little restless in the barriers before the start and that he had asked for some help to get the gelding to stand correctly.
“He was sitting back in the gates and there was a man up with the horse next to me,” said Powell.
“I just asked him to help the horse come forward a bit, but as he did the starter let them go.
“In doing that The Hornet fly-jumped and came back and hit me in the face before knuckling a couple of strides later.
“I was already unbalanced after copping the whack in the face and I wasn’t ready for him knuckling, so unfortunately off I came.
“It wasn’t a good start for Michael and to think that it nearly happened again with Natalia last week even had me laughing.
“I don’t ride for Michael a lot. The only two rides I’ve had and both have knuckled at the start.
“You couldn’t believe that both horses would do what they did, so I’m hoping for third time lucky you could say.”
Powell said The Hornet was given an easy trial last week, finishing at the tail of the field over 1000m behind Lamborghini Flame.
“His trial was OK,” said Powell. “It was a pretty fast heat and I just let him do his best without asking him to do too much.
“I was quite happy with what he did. He still sat back at the start and was a little slowly away, but that is maybe because he’s still a little fresh.
“That trial should bring him on nicely and the extra ground is certainly going to be in his favour.”
The Hornet is just over $40,000 shy of passing the $1 million mark in prizemoney, achieved in six wins from 26 starts which included success in the Group 2 Three-Year-Old Challenge third Leg over 1600m and the Group 3 Singapore Four-Year-Old Mile over 1600m last February which co-incidentally happens to be the son of High Yield’s latest victory.