TEARS'N'CHEERS CHASES GOLDEN ROSE

Queenslanders will have a particular interest in racing in Sydney this Saturday when Tears‘N’Cheers and Charming Rogue, two Alan Bailey trained runners, line up at Rosehill.

Tears‘N’Cheers races in the $1 million dollar Golden Rose, which will be contested over 1400m (Start time 3.55pm).

Alan Bailey, always so strong on the value the barrier draw, was not happy when he learnt that Tears‘N’Cheers will jump from the fourteen gate, but jockey Glen Colless is unfazed by the difficulty that factor will pose.

Neither is he in awe of the opposition.

“There are some very good horses in the line-up and it’s going to be a difficult task,” acknowledged Colless, “but that applies to most of horses in the race.

“I know most people tend to talk about the horses down south being superior to those in Queensland. I’m always a bit surprised by that given our record down there.

“Of course there are very good horses down there and they do have the greater share of the champions. I’m not arguing with that and I’m not meaning to belittle their status.

"But almost every time we take a horse down south from Queensland, even though we invariably go there for a feature which is often a step up in class, we are competitive ... and I would expect Tears‘N’Cheers to be the same.

“I’m not saying we will win it. I am saying we are good enough and have earned a place in the field. And I’m very happy for us to take our chances from there.”

Charming Rogue will defend his unbeaten record two races before the Golden Rose. (Start time 2.35pm) He too faces no easy assignment.

Colless is in good health now after being stood down from several meetings in recent times due to problems associated with a growth on his ear and a heavy dose of flu.

He also missed the Queensland Racing Awards evening where he was named the George Moore, Jockey Of The Year.

“Yeah, I was crook,” said Colless. “I was on antibiotics for both my ear and the flu so there was no way I could make it.

“Very happy with that honour though,” continued Colless. “I have won the award before. I did have a good season winning some nine or ten Listed races and Group 2’s. But I did miss out on the premiership title, so it was very satisfying to get the award.”

Colless confirmed that Alan Bailey, who has downsized the number of horses in his stable, still has first call on his services.

He also confirmed what everybody else has been finding out at the track.

“Alan might have downsized, but that doesn’t mean he has compromised the quality of horse he has in the yard,” stated Colless. “In fact it is quite the opposite. He has a level of strength there which can only lead to him having a good season.”

But it is still a downsided yard with less runners. What effect does that fact have on the number of rides Colless is booked for per meeting. Is he making more calls (to get rides) or is he receiving more calls (being offered rides)?

“It hasn’t really affected me at all really, offered Colless. “I have a manager who takes care of that.”

I mention the likes of trainers Liam Birchley and Rob Heathcote who have been well in the market for Colless’s services in recent times.

“Yeah, Liam is a good supporter of mine,” answered Colless. “I’m friends with a number of Liam’s owners and the stable gives me some very good rides. Rob as well. He’s got a lot of horses and he seems to put me on the better ones, so I’m very lucky.

Colless is restricted with regard to getting rides in one sense. The one that is always the enemy of a jockey – the weight issue.

Is maintaining his riding weight more of an issue with Colless at this stage of his career than it was in earlier days, or is it just an old routine?

“No, I’m very comfortable riding at 54kg. I’m happy with the quantity and the quality of rides that I get,” so things are pretty much under control as far as that is concerned. There is the odd occasion where I would consider getting down to 53kg, but that doesn’t happen often.”

A little over a week ago, when still not one-hundred percent health-wise, Colless won four races, for four different trainers, on a seven race card at Doomben.

It was a master-class of race-riding.

It is true that Colless’s main rivals on the top of the jockey tree, Jim Byrne and Jason Holder, did not compete at that meeting, but the fact that Colless reigned supreme, blatantly out-riding his opposition on the day does beg the question ... is race-riding ever as easy on the track as he makes it look from the grandstand?

“Again I’m just very lucky,” answered Colless. “I think I’m pretty laid-back ... not uptight. I just sort of cruise along and take every race meeting and each race as it comes.

“I find the calmer I am, the better I ride ... and obviously the better I ride, the more the results go my way. Horses do tend to run for me, and most do what I ask.

"I guess that’s got a lot to do with my combination of experience and attitude. That’s all I can put it down to.”

Does the same laid-back attitude apply to a $1 million race like the Golden Rose? Or will Colless be just that little bit nervous come Saturday?

“No, whether it is a Maiden at Murwillumbah or a Golden Rose in Sydney, it is just another race, really. I just have to focus on what I have to do. To be caught up in anything beyond that would be a mistake.”

And there will certainly be no room for error on Saturday.

The Golden Rose field includes horses from the highest profile of stables.

The list of trainers with runners trying to thwart the Alan Bailey/Glen Colless raid includes names which read like a ‘who’s who’ of the Australian training ranks - Bart Cummings, David Hayes, John Hawkes, Peter Snowden and Gai Waterhouse.

Throw in the competitive nature of the likes of top guns Glen Boss, Corey Brown, the Cassidy’s and Nash Rawiller, to name a few, and the battle for the Golden Rose will clearly be no place for the faint-hearted.

As always though, if you have a ticket, you have a chance.

Let’s hope there are more cheers than tears.