Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership winner Jye Mcneil will ride The Inferno when he resumes at The Valley on Saturday.
The Inferno is chasing back-to-back wins in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) after giving Cliff Brown his first winner back following a training stint in Singapore last year.
McNeil will be the fourth jockey to ride The Inferno with Damian Lane scoring on the sprinter last year. Regan Bayliss rode the gelding in The Everest in Sydney while Mark Zahra took over during the autumn with Lane in Japan.
Lane partnered The Inferno in a trial at Cranbourne earlier in the month but was committed to another mount on Saturday.
“That’s business I suppose,” Brown said at Moonee Valley on Tuesday.
McNeil had his first ride aboard The Inferno on Tuesday with Brown taking the gelding to Moonee Valley to give the sprinter a trip away from his Mornington base.
“For him it’s a day out, take the silliness off him,” Brown said.
“He’s a bit of a lad. He needed to come here mentally as he’s such a handful. It’s a good day out for him because when he comes back here, he won’t be as stupid as he can be.
“It’s all a game with him.”
After a promising spring campaign last year that netted the McEwen win and a close second in the Group 1 Moir Stakes, things did not go right during the autumn.
The Inferno was lucky not to fall when checked in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington then a foot issue ruled him out of the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Brown said The Inferno was over those issues, however the sprinter will improve on whatever he does on Saturday.
“His feet were annoying last time,” Brown said.
“It’s nothing structural. The farrier has done a great job and while his coat is not there yet, he’s well.
“Jye said he handled the track OK this morning, but I would like improving ground for Saturday.”
