STEWARDS RULING: WILLIAMS TO RIDE ORTENSIA

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 1, 2009

No wonder Tony Noonan was playing his cards close to his chest when asked who would take the ride on Ortensia in the Stradbroke. That was the leading question being posed to him after Ortensia had qualified for the big race via a heart stopping, heart fought victory in the QTC Cup on Saturday.

“We haven’t given it any thought really,” was Noonan’s reply. “We had to get past today first. We’ll wait and see who’ll ride her. I haven’t given it any thought at all. There is no shortage of jockeys,” said Noonan, deflecting the query.

But, in truth, there was a problem ... a sticking point. Noonan wasn’t really interested in choosing from the jockeys queuing up to take the ride. He really only wanted one jockey to ride Ortensia ... the one who had been in the saddle for the last five runs and the man who Noonan believed he had an arrangement with for him to stay on the filly all the way to the Stradbroke.

The problem was that twenty-four hours prior to his important race winning ride on Saturday, the man in question - Craig Williams - after being pressured and set a deadline by trainer Graeme Begg, had made the choice to ride All Silent, the ruling favourite for the Stradbroke instead of Ortensia, who, at that stage still had to qualify for the big race.

Williams then went out to partner Ortensia to victory in testing circumstances to qualify the filly for her Grand Final.

It can be argued that Ortensia would not have made the final field for the Stradbroke if it were not for Williams’ prowess in the saddle. It can be argued she cannot win it without him.

Noonan may not have thought much about the rider situation prior to Ortensia putting her head down in front on the line on Saturday and he did not have to think about it too long after that win. The trainer duly approached the Stewards and asked them to decide the matter. He believed that Williams had committed himself to riding the filly for her entire campaign as early as March. He wanted that agreement to be enforced. He believed Williams was not free to take the ride on All Silent (on whom he finished third in the Doomben 10 000).

Today the Stewards ruled in Noonan’s favour. They found that Williams had given a full commitment to Noonan with regard to Ortensia’s entire autumn and winter campaign. They thus ruled that he will ride the filly in the Stradbroke.

“I wanted the best rider in Australia on what I believe is the best filly in Australia,” said Noonan, after the decision has been announced.

While Graeme Begg lost his first choice rider for All Silent, he has found a highly capable replacement in the form of Hugh Bowman.

Current betting for the big race has little between All Silent (at 5.25) and Ortensia (at 5.50). Black Piranha (6.00) is the only other horse quoted in single figures.

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