PARTY FOR TWO WILL BE SET FOR THE WINTER CARNIVAL

By Graham Potter | Thursday, March 14, 2024

Party For Two, the winner of the three-year-old Jewel, has pulled up well after her barn-storming win at the Gold Coast last Saturday and the stable will now plot a path for her through to the Winter Carnival.

“It was a good to get that result ... to get that for the owners and for Nikita (Beriman) to be reunited with her.

"That was a really good story after Nikita had been off riding for quite a while ... to come back and win a big race. She is a quality rider,” said co-trainer Matt Hoysted.

“Party For Two pulled up great,” continued Hoysted.

“She went out on Monday. She’s going to have two weeks out of the stable down at Kolora Lodge.

“Obviously, the carnival is now firmly on the agenda with her.

“She’ll go seven weeks into the Mick Dittman where she will go first-up. We’ll still work out where we will go on the back of that.

“She may go to the mares’ races. There’s probably not a great deal for her in terms of stakes grade three-year-old races or the shorter course after the Mick Dittman.”

Hoysted also confirmed that Nikita Beriman will be part of that journey.

“Nikita will be sticking with her,” said Hoysted. “She’ll be on. She’s got a good affiliation with her.”

Beriman initially rode Party For Two in four of the filly’s first five starts (which included two victories and a runner-up finish in the Blue Diamond Prelude), but lost the ride when Party For Two changed stables ... and then came the shoulder injury which forced Beriman out of the saddle for nearly seven months.

During this time Party For Two had five runs without Beriman being in the saddle, but then she got the callup to ride Party For Two in the Jewel.

“The owners left the decision entirely up to Steve (O’Dea) and myself,” explained Hoysted.

“It was a hard decision.

“We just felt ... 1200m ... we were going to have to roll on her and be nice and positive early ... and then she had to come back and relax and Nikita has got such beautiful hands. She has the record on her. She knows her inside out ... so that’s why we went down that route.

“Thankfully, it worked out well.”

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