Waikouaiti trainer Amber Hoffman has the ideal going-away gift for departing jockey Toni Direen.
Now she just needs Babilloni to do his part at Oamaru today.
Direen heads to Victoria later this week to start work for Ballarat trainer Darren Weir, but she is just one win away from bringing up her 100th career victory.
Hoffman reckons Babilloni is the one to give Direen the ton when she climbs aboard in race 1, a rating 65 2200m.
"That would be awesome. Hopefully she can do it in the first with Babilloni," Hoffman said.
Babilloni collected second placings at Wingatui in June and Timaru in July before finishing a distant 13th at Riccarton in August.
"He didn’t handle the track and I don’t think he was 100% within himself anyway," she said.
The 6yr-old "jumps and puts himself there", although Hoffman warned he was still getting to grips with the longer trips.
"He hasn’t really had a lot of goes over that distance, so it will be interesting but he’s a nice horse."
Direen also rides Step Inside Love (race 5) and Hardy’s Revenge (race 9) for Hoffman.
Step Inside Love was a handy jumpout winner at Wingatui earlier this month and yesterday’s dead6 track rating should be fine for the daughter of St Reims on debut.
"’I think she’s going to be one of those ones that handles that sort of going. She’s pretty well and it will be interesting to see what she thinks of a few more horses around her."
Hardy’s Revenge will "need this run" in the rating 65 1400m, in which he is joined by stablemate Spitting Image who is likely to get back.
"I say he will jump out last, be 10 lengths last and do his best work at the finish. It might be too short for him. Once he gets back over a mile and 2000m, he will be better."
