Big race jockey Jim Cassidy continued his long and successful association with New Zealand's famous Ritchie racing family when Solid Billing scored a brilliant win in the Group Three Summer Cup at Randwick.Trainer Craig Ritchie was keen for Cassidy to ride the five-year-old in Saturday's 2400 metre race and was glad he got his man."Having a bloke like Jim on board is huge, he's such a great judge of pace, he's fit and he's just something else," Ritchie said.Cassidy took a spot behind runaway lea

Big race jockey Jim Cassidy continued his long and successful association with New Zealand's famous Ritchie racing family when Solid Billing scored a brilliant win in the Group Three Summer Cup at Randwick.

Trainer Craig Ritchie was keen for Cassidy to ride the five-year-old in Saturday's 2400 metre race and was glad he got his man.

"Having a bloke like Jim on board is huge, he's such a great judge of pace, he's fit and he's just something else," Ritchie said.

Cassidy took a spot behind runaway leader Scouting Wide with the pair opening a huge lead near the halfway point of the race.

Nearing the 800 metres, Cassidy made his move and soon took over from the tiring Scouting Wide who was a spent force at the turn.

Solid Billing, who started at $13, clung on gamely with the Bart Cummings-trained Zazabeau ($6) flashing home to run 1-1/2 lengths second with Rockwood ($5) never in hunt another 6-1/2 lengths away.

"That's the way to ride him, he's a tough horse as much of the Rock Of Gibraltar's are," Ritchie said.

"He's out of a mare called Star Affair, she was from a tough South Island filly family and they are the sorts of horses that can race off them and you can use them in a race and they just keep giving.

"Jimmy actually rode the dam (trained by Craig's brother Shaun) to a third in the Gosford Cup in 2003."

Cassidy's association with the Ritchies goes back a long way and has netted the hoop many big wins including the 1985 Group Two Bayer Classic aboard champion Bonecrusher who was trained by Ritchie's father Frank.

"Jimmy's done a lot of riding for our family and it's great he was able to continue that success with us today," Ritchie said.

Cassidy was equally pleased.

"I knew they were coming over and they wanted me to ride him and it was a great performance by horse and jockey," Cassidy said.

"The form was good, the weight was good and it made Christmas worth while.

"If anyone can, a Kiwi can."

Ritchie said Solid Billing was likely to be spelled but would ideally return to Australia for the Sydney Cup.

Cassidy only recently made a comeback to the saddle after almost severing two fingers in a gardening accident.

The win by Solid Billing gave him a race-to-race double after he scored aboard Mr Unforgettable in the International Passport Hcp (1400m) and also provided Cassidy with his fourth Summer Cup after victories on Limitless (1986), Cross Swords (1991) and Mr Eurostar(1992).

Scouting Wide's trainer Tim Martin was called in by stewards after the last start Christmas Cup winner and favourite beat just one runner home.

"He just raced like a flat horse and will definitely go out now," Martin said.