And that is why apprentice jockey Racha Cuneen is pretty excited about his engagements at the feature meeting at Riccarton tomorrow.
The 24-year-old got the call-up for eight rides on the nine-race card at the South Island thoroughbred racing headquarters, and will certainly be worth a look in the jockeys’ challenge on the day.
"They’re all fair chances and I’m pretty happy with that on ‘money day’," Cuneen said.
"That’s what you aim for."
Cuneen teams up with the Ngapuke training combination of Mandy and Matt Brown for two of his engagements, including a ride on La Diosa in the 3yr-old 1000m.
By rights, the filly should be unbeaten after two starts as a 2yr-old, if it was not for finding a wall of horses at the turn at Riccarton on April 23.
"She showed a lot as a 2yr-old," Cuneen said.
"She probably should have won that last start, but she seems to have come up well and I’m glad to get the ride."
Cuneen was aboard the daughter of So You Think at the Rangiora trials on August 16 when he nursed the filly around without asking her for any real effort.
"It just sat in behind them — it was pleasing enough."
"She’s a nice filly and I’m sure she’ll progress."
Being by So You Think, her future should be over more ground, but both her runs as a 2yr-old were over 1000m, including her win at Riccarton on April 2.
Cuneen’s other ride for the Browns is on Powerball in a 1400m race.
The 4yr-old gelding punished punters in the autumn, finishing second as the $2.40 favourite at Timaru in March and fourth when sent out as a $1.60 favourite at the same venue in early April.
"It’s been fairly disappointing but it did trial up all right the other day — it was running on," he said.
The instructions for Cuneen from barrier 11 is to put the son of Savabeel into the race.
"I’m probably going to ride it a bit more positive on Saturday and see how that goes."
Cuneen is familiar with Athonis (race 1), having ridden the son of Stravinsky in all three of his trials.
"He’s trialled up all right and improved every time — he’s probably looking for further but it wouldn’t surprise me if it went a nice race."
Mulberry is the best of Cuneen’s other rides, despite jumping from the widest barrier draw in race 7, a rating 65 1400m.
"I think the wide draw won’t matter too much — with her racing pattern, she races back anyway, so hopefully she strikes on Saturday."
Cuneen is sitting on 91 wins and should pick up his 100th victory in the next month or two as the season warms up.
"That was last season’s aim but things didn’t pan out that well," he said.
"So I’ll get to the 100th win, try to win some nice races, and try and get on some nice horses and see where that takes me."
