Danny Nikolic surprisingly hasn't got a ride in Saturday's Underwood Stakes which he has won four times, but he'll do his best to win the other Group One feature on the Caulfield program, the Rupert Clarke Stakes aboard Serious Speed.Nikolic said he was keen to stay with Pompeii Ruler in the Underwood after riding him for the first time when he failed from a wide barrier in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.However owner Brian Coyle opted for a change of jockey to Steven Arnold.Nikol

Danny Nikolic surprisingly hasn't got a ride in Saturday's Underwood Stakes which he has won four times, but he'll do his best to win the other Group One feature on the Caulfield program, the Rupert Clarke Stakes aboard Serious Speed.

Nikolic said he was keen to stay with Pompeii Ruler in the Underwood after riding him for the first time when he failed from a wide barrier in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.

However owner Brian Coyle opted for a change of jockey to Steven Arnold.

Nikolic hasn't ridden the Leon Macdonald-trained Serious Speed since last spring when he rode her three times and he is happy to be back on her in Saturday's 1400m feature.

At his first ride on the Royal Academy mare he won the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on her.

He had the mounts when she finished seventh to Zarita in the Wakeful Stakes (2000m) and runner-up to Arapaho Miss in the VRC Oaks (2500m), both at Flemington.

"The day I won the Thousand Guineas on her I thought she was pretty special. The way she won she made them look second rate and I think she's a class act," Nikolic said.

"She was probably ridden a touch close the other day (when a first-up sixth to Bon Hoffa in the Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington with Craig Newitt in the saddle).

"All her runs are when she's balanced right up and I think she's a very good ride providing she gets a little bit of luck from the 600m onwards.

Nikolic said despite Serious Speed not being at the top of her game she still managed a sound fifth, with Newitt aboard, to Triple Honour in the Doncaster Hcp (1600m) at Randwick last autumn against some of the best milers in the country.

"She didn't get beaten that far in the Doncaster and she wasn't at her best that day," he said.

"She sweated up badly and she showed her class by still running a really good race."

Damien Oliver, who has an outstanding record in the race, will try to win it for the sixth time on the Brian Mayfield-Smith-trained Orange County who ran a close third in the Bobbie Lewis.

Last year's winner Bon Hoffa is the $5.50 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of first emergency Kingda Ka and Orange County at $7.50, Serious Speed at $9, Turffontein and Gotta Have Heart at $10 with Jadane, Eskimo Queen and

Swick next at $12.00.

The Mick Price-trained Rubiscent who scored an upset win at $41 in last year's Underwood with Nikolic aboard, is having a crack at the Rupert Clarke on Saturday with Steven King the rider.