Multiple Group One-winning jockey Darren Gauci has landed a full book of rides at Randwick after being enticed to Sydney from Melbourne by Grahame Begg to partner Fantene in the June Stakes.The senior ranks in Sydney are thin this weekend with six of the top eight riders in Brisbane for the Stradbroke Handicap meeting.That was also where Begg planned to be before pulling the plug on a Stradbroke start for All Silent, believing the Eagle Farm track was just not good enough for his Group One winne

Multiple Group One-winning jockey Darren Gauci has landed a full book of rides at Randwick after being enticed to Sydney from Melbourne by Grahame Begg to partner Fantene in the June Stakes.

The senior ranks in Sydney are thin this weekend with six of the top eight riders in Brisbane for the Stradbroke Handicap meeting.

That was also where Begg planned to be before pulling the plug on a Stradbroke start for All Silent, believing the Eagle Farm track was just not good enough for his Group One winner.

Begg put out the SOS to Gauci earlier this week and the jockey will also partner the trainer's other runner, Pagan Princess who runs in the Friends Of Royal Randwick Handicap (1400m).

Although Gauci has not had many rides for Begg, he had an association with his father Neville, a leading trainer in Hong Kong for many years.

"With so many of our jockeys away I realised I had to think outside the square," Begg said.

"It made good sense to get Darren.

"He hasn't had that many rides for me but he used to ride a lot for Dad in Hong Kong."

TAB Sportsbet's first June Stakes markets have Kroner favourite at $3.80 ahead of Posadas ($5.50) and Fantene ($7), the order in which they finished in an 1100-metre open handicap last Saturday week.

Peter Snowden, trainer of Posadas, was surprised his charge had to give the Bart Cummings-trained Kroner three kilograms and the favourite's 55.5kg also perplexed Begg.

Fantene remains on the 53kg limit while Posadas drops one kilo and Kroner goes up half a kilo.

"I think Kroner is unbelievably well weighted for a horse who has won two of his last three," Begg said.

The race in which the three favourites met last time was run on a heavy track with similar conditions expected on Saturday.

"I think Fantene is better on top of the ground but she got through the wet okay last time," Begg said.

Pagan Princess will also be up against a similar field to the one she met last time when a short head second to Shatters on May 13 at her third race start.

"She is still a maiden and probably also better on top of the ground but she is a good trier," Begg said.

"She has been racing well against some good fillies."

Pagan Princess has been placed in all her three starts including a third to Apparitions on a heavy track at Canterbury on April 22.

The first race at Randwick is named after champion Queensland trainer Bruce McLachlan who died of a heart attack this week aged 67.