Friday night’s William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley, where he will partner Shamexpress, is at the forefront of Damien Oliver’s mind, but he can’t help but get excited about what is to follow the next day. The Hall of Fame jockey will head to Sydney, where he will renew his association with superstar galloper Fiorente.

Oliver partners the Gai Waterhouse-trained six-year-old in the $500,000 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m), in which he will clash with Kiwi gun It’s A Dundeel.

Oliver has been successful at his only three rides aboard Fiorente – the Melbourne Cup, Peter Young Stakes and at his most recent outing in the Australian Cup – and is excited about taking the partnership interstate.

“He couldn’t have done any more than what we’ve asked of him this prep, winning his first two starts back and now he goes back to Sydney where he’s only had one run before, in the All Aged last year when he ran third over 1400 metres,” Oliver said.

“It’ll be nice to see how he goes back in his home town.”

Fiorente has helped continue an Oliver comeback, after 10 months out after serving a gambling related ban, that has gone better than he could have ever imagined.

Victorious in last year’s Melbourne Cup aboard Fiorente, he holds a commanding 14-win lead in the Victorian Metropolitan Jockeys’ premiership.

That’s an award Oliver has won eight times, but his challengers will get the chance to bridge the gap after Friday night’s Moonee Valley meeting with Oliver looking to add to his 101 Group 1 victories at interstate carnivals.

He rode at Randwick last weekend and is looking forward to his return to the track that he won the Golden Slipper in 2007.

“Randwick really impressed me last week, the set up of the new grandstand, and I’ve had a lot of success at Rosehill in the past, so I’m looking forward to getting back riding there,” he said.

Fiorente is TAB’s $2.50 favourite for a Ranvet Stakes in which It’s A Dundeel is the $2.90 second elect. Fiorente’s stablemate Carlton House ($9) is considered the biggest threat to the headline duo, while Victoria’s runners Sertorius and Gondokoro are the outsiders at $18 and $151.

Oliver also has rides in the day’s other Group 1, the $600,000 Coolmore Classic, in which he partner Clarry Conners’ VRC Crown Oaks winner Dear Demi.

He has another ride for Waterhouse, blueblood Woodbine in the $175,000 Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m), while he rides Mick Price-trained Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Jabali in the $300,000 Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m).

Jabali is one of three runners in the traditional lead-up to the Golden Slipper for Price, who will also saddle Cornrow, the Blue Diamond third placegetter, and Eqdaam.

Price has More Radiant in the Slipper lead-up for the girls, the Riesling Stakes, which showcases the return of Blue Diamond winner Earthquake and Mossfun, who sits on the second of betting astern Earthquake in Slipper markets.

Victoria has two chances to enhance its fine recent record in the Coolmore Classic with the Pat Hyland-trained Bonaria a $15 shot and Peter Moody’s A Time For Julia at $16.

Favourite for the Coolmore Classic is the Chris Waller-trained Catkins ($3.60), who was narrow runner-up to her glamour stablemate Red Tracer in the Group 1 Myer Classic at Flemington last spring.

Full fields for all races on the Rosehill card are available via the link