Fitzgerald ready to take her chances in town after patient ride

Leading provincial apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald is ready to make her mark in the city and believes two gallopers she knows well can bounce back and help her cause at Randwick on Saturday.

Fitzgerald is closing in on 200 career winners in her third season of race riding, and leads the NSW provincial apprentices’ title race with 34 victories after finishing top with the same number last campaign.

The daughter of former jockey Malcolm Fitzgerald has been with the powerful Annabel and Rob Archibald stable at Warwick Farm for the past 17 months, after starting with Taree trainer Tony Ball, and has been carefully taken through her country and provincial claims.

With her provincial claim almost done and the Sydney autumn carnival over, Fitzgerald will focus on using her three-kilogram advantage in the city. She has eight metropolitan wins from 68 rides and has six chances on the eight-race card on Saturday.

“It’s been going really nicely and just looking to step up to metro now, which is awesome,” Fitzgerald said.

“I’m getting really good opportunities, especially from Annabel and Rob, and some other trainers as well.

“I’ve got a couple of wins left in the provincials, so that was always the plan, just to try and get towards the end of that before coming to town and still claiming the full three in town.

“I’ve been just dipping the toe in and getting a bit of a taste for it, but I’ve had to be patient. I think it’ll pay off, just trying to be as prepared as possibly before getting to town.”

Rob Archibald was keen to see Fitzgerald take her chance in the coming months.

“She’s done a great job,” he said.

“It’s a good opportunity for her now over this period when the better Sydney riders seem to be heading to Brisbane.

“She’s had a good grounding and we feel like it’s time for her to come in and she should go well. She’s a hard worker and she’s got a good attitude.”

Three of her rides on Saturday are for the Archibalds and two, Luskaire and Redstone Well, failed last start with Fitzgerald aboard.

Luskaire strung four wins together in the spring, including a Saturday benchmark 78 (1800m) at Rosehill, but he finished last when resuming at Hawkesbury in the same grade over 1300m on April 8. Fitzgerald pushed forward from a wide gate but hopes to give Luskaire, a $26 chance from gate eight, a softer run on Saturday.

“We were going to ride him further forward, but he didn’t begin that well, and I still pressed the button with him,” Fitzgerald said.

“He was entitled to weaken late. But he had a really nice preparation last prep, so hopefully just ridden a little bit more nicely early, he should find the line.”

Redstone Well ($26) races in the sixth, a benchmark 94 handicap over 1800m, after fading to finish 10th in the Albury Cup (2000m) last start.

“It was a pretty strong tempo,” Fitzgerald said.

“He’s a beautiful horse and he’s got quite a nice cruising speed, so I think back in trip, he’s had a little freshen and his work’s been really good.

“I ride him quite a lot in track work and really get along with him, so I’d like to see him run a good race.”

Fitzgerald’s other ride for her bosses is Port Lockroy ($34), which resumes in the benchmark 100 over 1500m.

Her best chance shapes as Adam Duggan-trained Shalash ($7.50), a Gosford winner on debut, in the two-year-old race to start the day.

“I actually saw Adam when she trialled, and he said she’s a really nice, progressive filly, and obviously she came out and won on debut very convincingly,” she said.

She also pilots Sergeant Major ($11) in the fourth for top trainer Ciaron Maher, who she also rides for in track work.