Local knowledge to help well-travelled hoop Les Tilley in The Archer
Queensland jockey Les "Bubba" Tilley quips he needs to win the $775,000 The Archer on Sunday to pay for a helicopter ride he took to get between races at Goondiwindi and Toowoomba a couple of Saturdays ago.
Tilley is a regular rider at the Rockhampton track but will take his first ride in The Archer slot race when he partners local warhorse Master Jamie on Sunday.
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Tilley said his local knowledge of the Rockhampton track - which features a 600m straight - will give him an advantage over Sydney jockeys like Tyler Schiller (Strait Acer), Josh Parr (Lavish Empire), and Dylan Gibbons (Ucalledit) - who are riding in The Archer.
Tilley has saddle and will travel - regularly travelling thousands of kilometres around Queensland and northern NSW for rides.
On Saturday April 13, he rode in Goondiwindi (350km from Brisbane) where he scored a treble.
He then hired a helicopter to take him to the Toowoomba night meeting where he rode a winner.
"I need to win The Archer to pay for my helicopter flight," Tilley quipped.
"The chopper picked me up at Goondiwindi, it landed on the track near the winning post, five minutes after the last race.
"I jumped in it and it took off and it landed in my backyard in Toowoomba and then I hopped in my car and went to the Toowoomba races."
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Master Jamie is a $17 chance in The Archer but has an intimate knowledge of the Rockhampton track - having won back-to-back Rockhampton Cups.
He is a horse with plenty of heart, winning 18 of his 60 starts and finishing runner-up on 13 occasions.
Graeme Green's galloper had to carry the grandstand last start when shouldering 67.5kg when racing at his local track in an Open Handicap, getting run down and finishing third.
Master Jamie plunges in weight in the Archer where he will carry 59kg and Tilley is convinced he is not out of it.
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He has hatched a plan to try to conjure a big result in the 1300m slot race feature.
"I'm 100 per cent pushing forward and I 100 percent want to lead if I can," Tilley said.
"If I can get a cheap sectional I will then try to break their hearts and put two or three lengths on them at the 400(m).
"And if they catch me, they catch me.
"Some of the Sydney jockeys coming up will be unfamiliar with the 600m Rockhampton straight, you think you have to just sit and wait before making a run.
"But the winning post comes up a lot quicker than you expect."
Master Jamie will turn eight in a few months but his regular jockey Tilley says the galloper, who has picked up over $1m in prize money, shows no signs of slowing down.
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Despite being beaten last start with a big weight, Tilley said it showed him the veteran gelding will give The Archer a mighty shake.
"This horse goes through a flat spot every race, you will always see him switch off for a bit," Tilley said.
"So because of that, I always have to go for home a bit early on him.
"But last time I went a bit earlier and he sprinted so well with the 67.5(kg)
"He never ever sprints that quick.
"If I had my time over again I would have waited until later in the race to let him go.
"He is still flying the old boy.
"Off that run the other day, he is still at his best.
"He is literally what you would class as an iron horse."
There are big plans to further boost The Archer in 2025, with prizemoney to be lifted to $1 million, while the winner of the race will be exempt from the ballot for the $3 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
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Morphettville Race 7
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Sportsbet Australasian Oaks (2000m)
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| 7 | 7 | 7.5 | 7 | 7 | 1.3 | 700 | 7 | 6.9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |||
| 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 5 | 2 | 880 | 5 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5 | 5 | |||
| 21 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 4.8 | 400 | 19 | 19.2 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |||
| 61 | 51 | 61 | 51 | 51 | 4.8 | 910 | 51 | 45 | 61 | 51 | 51 | |||
| 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 4.8 | 13 | 11 | 11.2 | 11 | 11 | 11 | |||
| 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3.95 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||
| 21 | 21 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 4.8 | 90 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 21 | |||
| 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 700 | 9 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 9 | 8.5 | |||
| 41 | 41 | 51 | 34 | 41 | 4.8 | 910 | 41 | 31 | 34 | 41 | 41 | |||
| 9 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 4.8 | 18 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 9 | 8.5 | 8.5 | |||
| 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 6.4 | 23 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | |||
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 4.8 | 32 | 18 | 17.2 | 19 | 18 | 18 | |||
| 51 | 41 | 51 | 41 | 46 | 4.8 | 910 | 41 | 43 | 51 | 41 | 46 | |||
| 61 | 51 | 71 | 61 | 61 | 7 | 910 | 61 | 59 | 61 | 61 | 61 | |||
| 151 | 201 | 301 | 201 | 201 | 5 | 980 | 151 | 141 | 151 | 201 | 201 | |||
| 251 | 251 | 401 | 301 | 301 | 4.8 | 980 | 201 | 241 | 201 | 501 | 301 | |||
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Market percentage
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120 | 121 | 113 | 121 | 120 | 481 | 29 | 120 | 122 | 120 | 120 | 120 | ||
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Quick Bet
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Form Guide
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