By Glenn Davis
Sunshine Coast trainer Tom Button hopes to give comeback jockey Justin Stanley a winner with his first ride back from a lengthy injury layoff at Callaghan Park in Rockhampton on Thursday.
Stanley has been sidelined for five months with a wrist injury and has taken two rides in his first meeting since riding at the Cairns Amateurs in September last year.
Stanley will ride the Button-trained Miss Lot Won in the QTIS Jewel Qualifier (1100m) before Bauhinia Ted for trainer Jamie McConachy in the Class One Handicap (1300m).
“I hurt my wrist when a horse took a left-hand turn and I went over the top one day at Townsville last August,” Stanley said.
“I didn’t think much of it and kept riding until it got too sore after the Cairns Amateurs.
“I saw a specialist and he said it was severely strained and as bad it could get before they normally operate.
“Luckily, I never needed an operation and it just took time.”
Stanley was last season’s leading rider in Queensland with 117.5 wins and also won the Queensland Provincial premiership with 109.5 wins before the injury setback.
Menwhile Button has only one concern with Miss Lot Won who has been racing well in the Brisbane metropolitan area.
The daughter of Sidereus was placed behind subsequent Magic Millions Classic winner Away Game in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes (1110m) at Doomben in mid-December before a last start fourth to Mishani Miss over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm on January 18.
“She’ll be hard to beat and has the form on the board but my worry is she’s had a six week break between runs.
“I think she can win but Sing For Violent has won her only two starts and looks the one to beat.”
Sing For Violet, a Luke Dillon mount, won her first start at Rockhampton on November 17 before scoring again 11 days later over the same distance at Mackay.
Button believes Miss Lot Won already has enough prizemoney to run in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel (1200m) at the Gold Coast on March 14 but is yet to decide if she’ll head that way.
“I want to see how she goes in tomorrow’s race first and see how she comes through the run,” Button said.
“The QTIS Jewel is pencilled in at this stage before she runs in the big Capricorn Yearling Sales Classic in Rockhampton.”
The $143,000 Capricorn Yearling Sales Classic (1200m) will be run on April 4.
Racing Queednsland webnews February 26