3 minute read
It took gentle persuasion and a little twisting of the arm, but the opportunity of riding in a major Group 3 race on a good horse was strong enough to coax Jarrad Noske back to riding.
Noske has ridden sparingly since taking out a dual jockey-trainers license two years ago, but answered the call to partner Samizdat in Saturday's PKF-Roma Cup (1200m) at Belmont.
"It was a bit out of the blue," Noske told The Races WA.
"I haven't been looking for rides, but I've had a few offered to me lately.
"But because it's the Roma Cup, weight for age and Samizdat, they didn't have to twist my arm too much.
"It's a decent race and it's not like he doesn't have any chance."
Noske and Samizdat's co-trainers Chris and Michael Gangemi are no strangers to Roma Cup success, having combined with Rock Magic in 2017.
Rock Magic was at it again a year later with William Pike the successful hoop.
Noske, who has ridden more than 600 winners, climbs back in the saddle for the first time since riding Apple Schnapps at Ascot last December.
Noske says he has had little time to think about a permanent return to racing as he maintains a hectic work schedule as pre-trainer and breaker.
The dual Perth Cup winning jockey says he's comfortable in the knowledge that his latest return to riding will be a brief one.
"Sometimes when I watch a race I miss it a little bit, but I'm too busy to even watch a lot of races," Noske said.
"I'm too busy to be riding regularly, I have a bit on, and riding during the week would be out of the question."
Noske has a good knowledge of Samizdat, sitting aboard the gelding in nine of 24 starts.
They were together when he won the Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy (1200m) at Pinjarra.
Samizdat was the sale-topping colt at the 2017 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale and is back on home soil after a fruitless Melbourne campaign last spring.
The son of Not A Single Doubt has not raced since finishing last behind Nature Strip in the G1 VRC Classic (1200m) at Flemington.
A winner in four of seven first up attempts, Samizdat tuned up for the Roma Cup with two 1000m warm up trials at Belmont.
In current betting the six-year-old is $41 with TABtouch, a quote that Noske considers may be over the odds.
"It's a decent race, but he's a decent horse," Noske said.
"Hopefully, we can get a bit of rain before the race as that will bring him into it even more."
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