Melbourne Cup Ride Would Crown Dale's Season

Newcastle Herald

Monday July 28, 2008

By GEOFF WILSON

IT has been a big year for brilliant Newcastle jockey Dale Spriggs, but he hopes the very best is yet to come.

Spriggs clinched his third Newcastle jockeys title on Saturday and is in a fight with Grant Buckley for the provincial title.

And this season he has had the joy of watching his teenage son Blake join him in the jockey ranks.

Dale has had just under 700 rides for for 83 winners at a strike rate of 11.99 per cent so far this season.

Those factors have made it a great season, so what could make it better?

"I know it is a million to one, but I am hoping to get a ride in the Melbourne Cup," Spriggs said.

"That would make this the best season ever for me."

The horse that could take Spriggs to Australia's greatest staying race is tough-as-teak seven-year-old Sky Biscuit.

Spriggs was on Sky Biscuit when he placed in the 3200m Queensland Cup and ran well in the 2400m Brisbane Cup.

"The old horse is now qualified for the Melbourne Cup," Spriggs said. "We are just hoping he can come from a spell and make it all the way to the Cup.

"It is every jockey's dream to ride in the Cup, and I am no different, and this just might be my chance.

"Sky Biscuit is a remarkable old horse.

"He runs week after week and just loves it, and he showed in the Queensland Cup the two miles is perfect for him.

"He looked beaten halfway up the straight but just kept coming and was going as good as anything on the line when just beaten."

Spriggs clinched the Newcastle title when he beat premiership rival Linda Meech home in the ratings 65 handicap over 1400m.

Spriggs and Meech went into the meeting locked together on 12 wins.

Meech did not ride a winner on the day.

Meech led on Caspian Dream, but Spriggs reeled the leader in and urged Call Me Chrissie to power home to win.

"I went into the meeting thinking Gareegossup was my best hope, and he just got beat, so I thought my chances of winning the title were slim," Spriggs said.

"But Call Me Chrissie really fought hard, and when I looked back and saw that I had Linda beaten, I had a big smile when I hit the line," he said.

"It has been a good year at Newcastle, and to win the title was great as I spent many Saturdays going to Queensland.

"I rode a lot up there over the winter carnival, so that makes it an even better feeling to think I could still win the title at home."

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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