Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry have been left looking with envy at the favourites that will be rivals in Saturday's Canterbury Stakes at Randwick after taking early bookings for Leebaz and Criterion.
The top jockeys could have quite easily been and probably should have been on Catkins and Cosmic Endeavour.
Bowman has been part of the Catkins story for much of her career, winning the Breeders' Classic and Millie Fox Stakes this preparation. But he didn't realise the Canterbury Stakes was on the radar.
"I didn't know she was going there until after I won on her the other day and I had already been booked for Criterion," Bowman said. "I'm not in the habit of getting off horses, so I'm sticking with Criterion.
"I haven't had as many rides on him but I have won [an Australian] Derby and [Rosehill] Guineas on him and was placed in the Hong Kong Cup on him also last start.
"He does go well fresh but he is looking for further and is on the Queen Elizabeth [Stakes] path."
Berry has formed a partnership of sorts with the Hawkes stable in the past month. He rides the returning Leebaz in the Canterbury Stakes but was shocked when Gai Waterhouse decided to go for a seven-day back-up with Cosmic Endeavour after she was runner-up in the Guy Walter Stakes last week.
"Plans change and that is what happened unfortunately," Berry said. "It is disappointing because, obviously, I want to ride her all the time. She has been going really well and it is her sort of race to win. She has drawn perfectly and I think the back-up will suit her really well."
Berry is confident Leebaz will make his presence felt in the Canterbury Stakes after he trialled him at Warwick Farm last Friday.
"Anyone who saw his trial behind Terravista would have had to be impressed. Obviously he is going to get better over further but he has always run good races first-up," Berry said.
James McDonald has picked up the ride on Cosmic Endeavour, which opened as the $3.40 second pick, while Jim Cassidy takes over on Catkins, the $2.80 favourite.
Berry will continue to forge his partnership with Team Hawkes, riding Golden Slipper winner Mossfun against the older horses in the Challenge Stakes.
"She just got overracing first-up and was probably a bit close that day," Berry said. "All her wins have been when she has come from off them and I think we will try to get her to settle and ride her like that again."
Berry could be the thorn in the Hawkes camp side earlier in the afternoon when he rides Gai Waterhouse-trained Vancouver against their Golden Slipper favourite Headwater in the Todman Stakes.
"He is just a classy colt. Hawkesy's [Headwater] is the one to beat but we have drawn the gate to dictate the race," Berry said.
Meanwhile Rock Diva has wound in from $26 to $15 in the Sydney Cup after coming from last to win the Auckland Cup on Wednesday.
Blake Shinn took the riding honours at Warwick Farm on Wednesday chalking up a winning double which bookended the meeting from well-supported Look To The Stars and Happy Clapper.
