It has been just over a year since jockey Jye McNeil rode Kings Will Dream to Group 1 success in the Turnbull Stakes.
At Flemington on Derby Day tomorrow, McNeil has a strong chance of doubling his tally at the elite level with four rides in the four Group 1 races.
Fresh off riding three-year-old Grandslam in the Cox Plate last Saturday at 49 kilograms, McNeil will once again get down to that feather weight in order to ride last-start Thousand Guineas winner Odeum in the Empire Rose Stakes.
Despite the toll it takes on his body, McNeil is happy to cut down to the light weight in order to ride Odeum who he feels is the deserved $3.60 favourite.
“This is the third time now in three weeks that I’ve ridden light,” McNeil said on SEN Track.
“I obviously have done it really easily so far but I’ve noticed a difference in the first, second and third time that it’s starting to take a bit of a toll but I feel really well, I’ve got a great personal trainer and I’m handling it quite well.
“I haven’t had the pleasure of riding her yet but obviously very familiar from watching her and with that light weight, that brings her right into the race.
“She’s right in the market and deservedly so.”
McNeil rides another filly in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in Muntaseera, who has ran well in her two starts this preparation, but concedes it will be tough to turn the tables on Swats That, let alone some of the colts in the race.
“It’s going to be tough to do that,” he added.
“We obviously followed Swats That everywhere the other day and it was just way too sharp for us at the top of the straight but at the line you’ll notice we were starting to peg back and take a little bit of ground off Swats That late.
“Stranger things have happened, but we get in okay at the weights as well.”
McNeil will then climb aboard Redwood Shadow for the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr stable in the Derby, hopefully with a Group 1 already locked away for the day.
He must navigate the wide barrier, but McNeil is confident of the horse being able to balance up and run a race regardless of where he finds himself when they settle.
“No favours from the barrier there but he tends to find his feet anyway so I’m not sure what the plan will be but possibly you will see him in the second half somewhere,” he said.
“Obviously if we get a bit of luck getting in and getting in front of a few that’s going to make everything easier for him.
“You just never know. He’s never been to Flemington so sometimes they can just improve lengths once they go to those types of tracks.”
Muntaseera and Redwood Shadow are both long shots in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and VRC Derby at $23 and $15 respectively while Odeum is the current favourite for the Empire Rose at $3.60.
McNeil will also ride I Am Superman at $23 in the other of the Group 1s in the Cantala Stakes over 1600m.