The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one that jockeys look forward to, but in the blink of an eye it is over for another year.
The build-up starts in the weeks leading up to Victoria Derby on Saturday, builds to a crescendo on Melbourne Cup Day and before you know it Champions Day at Flemington has been run and won.
There are eight Group 1 races over the four days, starting with the Victoria Derby (2500m), the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) and the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.
One jockey looking forward to the day is Jamie Kah who believes she has strong hopes in all three of those races ahead of final acceptances on Wednesday and build on her Group 1 tally of 14.
“For a long week, it goes pretty quick,” Kah said.
“You ride Saturday and the next Saturday it’s all over and done with.”
Kah’s booked to ride Amelia’s Jewel in the Empire Rose, Traffic Warden in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and South Australian visitor Goldrush Guru in the Victoria Derby.
“I think Amelia’s Jewel is about ready to win a Group 1. They’re all hard to win, but she’s a real classy animal,” Kah said.
It will be Kah’s first ride on the mare who won her only start at Flemington last September.
Kah said trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald were likely to put the blinkers back on after Amelia’s Jewel’s last start fifth in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick.
After missing a start in The Everest in Sydney because of playing up in the gates and being a late scratching, Kah has been impressed with Traffic Warden’s demeanour in two pieces of work she has ridden him in at Flemington.
Firstly, there was the jump-out last Friday before another 800m gallop down the straight on Tuesday morning.
“He was fantastic down the straight here on Friday and in the gallop today he was settled, he was beautiful and did everything you wanted to see going forward to Saturday,” Kah said.
“He’s done a lot of work since The Everest. He was very full of himself in Sydney and today he was a lot more composed. They’ve poured the work into to make sure his mind is right for Saturday.”
A former South Australian, Kah said she loves getting aboard Adelaide-trained horses when they cross the border into Melbourne.
Her Victoria Derby mount Goldrush Guru fits the bill and enters the Derby having scored a last start win in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on October 19.
“Being trained in South Australia, that was part of my deciding factor as well,” Kah said.
“I get along really well with (trainer) Andrew Gluyas and I love riding Adelaide-trained horse when I can while it’s win last start in the 1800-metre Listed race was a really decent win.
“I’m really confident about riding him and when Andrew was with Leon Macdonald they were very good at getting stayers ready.”
