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Rider change the key to Ready Set Boom's hopes at Eagle Farm

21 February 2019

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By Glenn Davis

Trainer Paul Butterworth believes a forced rider change will be the key to whether talented filly Ready Set Boom can break through for her first metropolitan success at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Multiple Group 1 winning jockey Larry Cassidy has been the filly’s regular rider but is unavailable due commitments to ride in a Group 1 race at Otaki in New Zealand.

Butterworth has booked Jim Orman to partner the daughter of Spirit Of Boom in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1600m).

“Larry knows this filly well and it’s unfortunate he can’t ride her again,” Butterworth said.

“But I’ve booked Jimmy Orman and I’ll ask him to study her videos as she has to be ridden a certain way.

“He’ll need to be aggressive on her early so she can sustain a long run.”

Ready Set Boom has started 12 times for three wins and as many placings including a last start win over 1400 metres at the Sunshine Coast on February 8.

Butterworth bought Ready Set Boom privately for $20,000 after she was passed in at the Magic Millions QTIS March sales in 2017.

This year’s QTIS Magic Millions March sales will be held over two days at the Gold Coast on March 18-19.

“I think she’s got a bit of a future and we were looking at the winter carnival with her,” he said.

“But we’ve decided to give her a break over the winter and she’ll come back and chase some of the big QTIS races later in the year.”

Butterworth revealed Ready Set Boom was lucky to be racing after she was injured while being broken in.

“When she was at the breaker, I got a call saying she had been kicked in the hock and had a fracture,” he said.

“They were going to put her down at one stage but I drove up to look at her myself and we discovered she had an infection and there was no break.

“Apparently the kick destroyed the sheath around the tendon in the hock and she needed to have surgery.

“She had the operation and was on antibiotics for a long time and we walked her for a good six months before she came good.”

Butterworth believes the early injury could be a factor in why she needs to be ridden a certain way.

“She’s as tough as nails but if you try to ride her differently, she won’t go,” he said.

“I’m not sure if that’s because of her early injury or not."

Racing Queensland webnews   February 21