Keith Dryden is throwing everything he's got at the Riharna Thomson Bracelet in a bid to win the Black Opal Day race to honour the late Canberra track work rider.
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The Canberra trainer has nominated four horses in the Riharna Thomson Memorial Handicap (1200 metres) at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday, including Scarleo, Gambler's Quest, Overfly and Express Courier.
Thomson was the stables foreman for trainers Dryden and Scott Collings when she died following a freak accident at Thoroughbred Park in 2017.
The Canberra Racing Club decided to name a race in her honour, with a bracelet to be awarded to the winning jockey.
This is the first time Dryden has taken part in the race and although he's wary of his chances, he says "if you're not in it, you can't win it."
"I would like to win the race so I've thrown everything I've got at it," Dryden said.
"I don't think I've got anything outstanding in it, I would just like to win the race because she worked for me and died in an accident with one of my horses.
"She was a lovely girl and it's great her name is being carried forward in the industry."
Kosciuszko-winning horse Handle the Truth was set to make his return to Thoroughbred Park via Sunday's quality open sprint (1000 metres), but the four-year-old will likely be scratched due to the heavy rain.
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Canberra has been hit with a deluge of rainfall this week which could affect the track's conditions.
Handle the Truth is coming off a fourth-month spell and has drawn the heaviest weight of 61.5 kilograms, leaving Dryden wary of sending him out to run on a heavy track.
"I don't think he's going to start, I think I'm going to scratch him due to the heavy track," Dryden said.
"I'm waiting to see what the track rating will be on Saturday morning, if it's in the heavy range then I'm going to scratch him.
"He's got 61.5 kilograms first up from a spell, so you risk knocking him around too much. If it's a reasonable track he'll probably go around but if it's still in the heavy range he'll be doubtful.
"He's been in work for about 10 weeks, he hasn't had a trial or a jump out, so we were using this as a race to move forward with."
Canberra Racing Carnival at Thoroughbred Park
Sunday: National Sprint (1400 metres) at 4.30pm, Black Opal Stakes (1200 metres) at 5.10pm.
Monday: Canberra Guineas (1400 metres) at 4.30pm, Canberra Cup (2000 metres) at 5.15pm.
Lucie Bertoldo
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
