Lowry in top shape to ride Anderton pair

Jacob Lowry.
Jacob Lowry.
Jacob Lowry might be in the best shape of his short career as a jockey.

Now he just needs the Brian and Shane Anderton-trained pair of Tommy Tucker and Coulee to rise to the challenge in two of the group features at Riccarton today.

Lowry battled with weight issues earlier this season, but has now come under the supervision of his cousin, Ricky Stewart, a personal trainer.

''He's in the gym hounding me and making sure my diet is all good and the weight is coming off the right way,'' Lowry said.

''Beforehand I was probably riding at 70% and now I'm at 100% so that's a big tick.''

Tommy Tucker looks close to 100% as he has a crack at the $230,000 Coupland's Mile, even though he has to carry 58kg - 1kg less than topweight Ringo.

''He's got a big weight to carry, but he carried 60kg the other day and won pretty comfortably so I've got a bit of confidence.''

Tommy Tucker was handed three points by the handicapper after his strong 1400m open handicap win at Wingatui last week, but Lowry feels there is plenty left in the 8yr-old based on that Wingatui run.

''He popped out, sat in the 1x1 and did nothing and was pretty strong to the line. I didn't do much on him in the last 50m but he won quite nicely.''

From barrier 6, Lowry has plenty of options in the big field.

''We'll just see how we jump, but we'll get a cross and get a nice run in transit. You can ride him wherever you like really.''

''He's pretty underrated and he won good over a mile [1600m] at Riccarton in the autumn, so he should go well again, I'd think.''

Coulee is the topweight in the group 3 Canterbury Breeders Stakes, due to her win in the South Island Breeders Stakes last season, but carrying 56kg is no concern for the Gallant Guru mare.

She has built nicely towards this spring target, sticking to the rails to finish third at Ashburton last month.

''It was a good effort at Ashburton,'' Lowry said.

''She went strong to the line and the ones that finished in front of her are pretty well priced in the Coupland's so that's a line to take.

''She got freshened up a wee bit so the 1400m would be right. We'll jump from one and see where we end up. I'm not too worried - I'm going to be on the fence regardless.''

Asked if Coulee was a top-three chance, Lowry went better than that.

'I think she'll win it.''

Lowry's other ride is Gallant Boy, who is fourth-up in the rating 85 1400m after a sound second to Somethings Burning.

''He went really good at Wingatui the horse that beat him is probably not a bad horse. It's a tidy enough field but he'll be pretty competitive.''

Gallant Boy will be Lowry's first ride as a 1kg claiming apprentice, after outriding his 2kg claim with his four wins at Wingatui last week.

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