This weekend, for the first time in five years, Jay Ford will have to settle for Rosehill over England.From 2006 until last year Ford has been in the UK on the corresponding weekend with champion sprinter Takeover Target for the Royal Ascot carnival.Takeover Target claimed the King's Stand Stakes in 2006 and finished third in the Golden Jubilee five days later.He competed admirably in the same races the following two years but didn't actually race at Royal Ascot last year after he was scratched
This weekend, for the first time in five years, Jay Ford will have to settle for Rosehill over England.
From 2006 until last year Ford has been in the UK on the corresponding weekend with champion sprinter Takeover Target for the Royal Ascot carnival.
Takeover Target claimed the King's Stand Stakes in 2006 and finished third in the Golden Jubilee five days later.
He competed admirably in the same races the following two years but didn't actually race at Royal Ascot last year after he was scratched from the Golden Jubilee on race-eve due to an elevated temperature.
He ran his final race in the July Cup at Newmarket a couple of weeks later.
This year's famous carnival in England has gone ahead without Ford and the now-retired Takeover Target, and this weekend the jockey will instead look for success aboard Twin Wing in the $100,000 Stayer's Cup (3200m) at Rosehill.
The Stayer's Cup has this year reverted to 3200m from 2400m for the first time in more than 20 years - making it one of only two races over the distance in NSW this season.
Ford hasn't had many rides in 3200m races but rode the Guy Walter-trained Twin Wing in last year's Sydney Cup over the trip and learned a valuable lesson that day despite finishing 12th.
"I've ridden him a couple of times, the start before the Sydney Cup in the Chairman's Handicap last year he led and was only collared the last bit to be beaten just over two lengths," Ford said.
"In the Sydney Cup we then decided to take a sit and he just pulled his head off.
"He's quite an aggressive horse and the key to him is when he can get out in front on his own and relax into his own rhythm. That's where he's at his best."
That was clearly on display at Rosehill on June 5 when the seven-year-old broke his rivals' hearts in an all-the-way win in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m).
It was the first time Ford had ridden Twin Wing since the 2009 Sydney Cup.
The hoop said the Winter Cup tactics were likely to be adopted again on Saturday.
"He's a genuine stayer and when he's able to dictate out in front and relax as well as what he did in the Winter Cup, he's pretty tough," the jockey said.
"It was a good, gutsy win last start and hopefully we'll look for something similar on Saturday."
Ford won the Stayer's Cup six years ago as an apprentice on outsider Hurry On Spec when the race was run over 2400m.