TARRANT AND THAT CHASE FOR THE PREMIERSHIP

By Graham Potter | Friday, April 24, 2015

Long-time Brisbane Jockey’s Premiership leader Luke Tarrant is coming under increased pressure to maintain his spot at the top of the ladder. Tarrant spoke to HRO and gave his view of how and why his momentum has faltered and what he feels his prospects are in the final run-in to the line.

“I’m in all sorts of trouble now,” said Tarrant.

“Between January and March I think I only rode in Brisbane one or two times ... and that’s really cost me in terms of the Premiership.

“I had a big, big lead on them. Then it dropped down to about five or six and now it’s even closer.

“I’ve just got to work on getting my rides back. I had to take those opportunities to ride in those big races down south. It was good for my career. It gave me a lot of exposure. It gave me added experience, but the downside was I had to turn down rides in Brisbane on those days.

“Once you turn them down it is hard to get back on them, especially when they come out and win.

“I think it was the second or third weekend I went to Sydney four of my horses won in Brisbane.

“In a way I was happy to see some of those meetings called off while I was away because I didn’t want to lose those rides as well.

“And now we’ve hit carnival time. I’ve landed in an awkward spot coming right into the carnival. The big boys are going to be here so it is going to be hard.

“My advantage is that I’ve got the score on the board, but Jimmy (Byrne) is chasing like mad. I’ll be in the finish but the prospect of winning the Premiership is not looking as good as it once was.

“I still want to win it obviously and will be trying to do just that, but I have to be realistic. It is going to be difficult.

“If I could ride five or six winners over the carnival I’ll be thrilled. I’d be ecstatic. I got some nice horses going through so that’s possible.”

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Rudy is one of those horses and Tarrant will have a huge amount of support riding with him when he tries to guide the Helen Page trained gelding to victory in the A D Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast tomorrow.

The Villiers winner is building into something of a local hero and with the Gold Coast Turf Club having reportedly announced that the club will shout the public bar if Rudy is able to salute and claim the eighth win of his career, Tarrant could be a very popular man around four o’clock on Saturday.

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