Racehorse TALK

Lindop breaking new ground again

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29 June
By Glenn Davis   aapracing

Adelaide jockey Clare Lindop hopes to continue her groundbreaking feats when she reunites with her old mate Exalted Time in the Caloundra City Cup at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Lindop became the first Australian woman to ride a Group One winner when she steered Exalted Time to victory in last year's Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.

She was also the first Australian woman to ride in the Melbourne Cup when she had the mount on the Leon Macdonald-trained Debben who finished 19th to Makybe Diva in 2003, and the first female to win a metropolitan jockeys' premiership which she achieved in Adelaide in 2004-05.

However, Lindop will be in uncharted territory aboard Exalted Time in Saturday's 2400-metre Listed feature as she's never ridden in the clockwise direction.

Lindop, 28, has ridden in every state bar Queensland and the only time she rode in NSW she won the Broken Hill Country Cup aboard Vandeclare in 2002.

"I've ridden once in NSW when I won the Broken Hill Cup but they race left-handed there like at home," Lindop said.

"I've been riding for 12 years but I've never ridden right-handed and I'm very excited about the opportunity and it will be a great experience."

With 44 wins Lindop is currently second in the Adelaide jockeys' premiership, five wins adrift of leader Paul Gatt, and hasn't given up hope of winning the title for a second time.

Lindop has ridden Exalted Time nine times for three wins and decided to come north to repay some loyalty to the gelding's owners.

Exalted Time's trainer Jim Smith is hoping the Caloundra track, which was still rated heavy on Friday, continues to dry out.

The rising eight-year-old has failed at his only two starts on heavy tracks, in the Mt Gambier Cup (2400m) in 2004 and in a restricted race at Victoria Park in 2003.

"He won at Morphettville on a slow track before he came up here to run in the Ipswich Cup last start," Smith said.

"They tell me Caloundra is normally a soft track but I don't want it too wet.

"There's a lot of pace in the race and Cold Start will lead. We won't be taking him on and we will just take a sit in behind the pace."

Smith was delighted with Exalted Time's performance to finish fifth, less than two lengths from the Kiwi winner Sculptor, in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on June 16.

"He went into the Ipswich Cup with one gallop under his belt," the 63-year-old trainer said.

"He left Adelaide at 6.00am on the Wednesday morning 10 days before the race and arrived in Brisbane on Friday afternoon after two days travelling by float.

"By the time he got over the trip I could only give him one gallop before the Ipswich Cup and I think he went into the race a little underdone."

Smith plans to back-up Exalted Time in the Queen's Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week before returning home to Morphettville to consider a possible country Cups bid during the Melbourne spring.