By Ray Hickson
Jockey Tyler Schiller learned more than enough from his first ride on emerging Godolphin filly Shaken to be confident she can overcome some adversity at Randwick on Saturday.
What impressed the premiership equal front-runner the most about the three-year-old’s first-up win was how well she settled in the run, something she hadn’t shown in two starts back in July.
It’s that attribute which tells Schiller he has a horse he can work with to offset an outside barrier in the Ranvet Handicap (1100m).
“She’s usually fairly fierce but I felt like she relaxed nicely and did the job extremely well,’’ Schiller said.
“She was pretty adaptable that day and she quickened like a nice horse although on heavy ground. She was very fresh but she had a nice bunny to chase and it really suited her.
“I don’t know if she was that comfortable on it compared to a better surface but she got the job done well.
“The only downside is the barrier draw but she’ll also be able to creep across under her own steam instead of firing her up which will do her a world of good.
“I think she’s a quality filly so she can probably overcome it.”
Shaken, $2.80 with TAB on Thursday, is a daughter of Group 1 winner Earthquake and her winter campaign was cut short when she bled in a race at Randwick on July 29.
In that race she over raced noticeably but still held on to run third behind Caballus and Estriella.
Schiller, closing on his 400th career winner, is confident there’s plenty of upside with Shaken and feels she’s well suited, aside from the barrier, with a half kilo drop to 54.5kg on her back for a modest class rise.
“I think she is a very good filly. For any horse to win pretty untouched like she did at Warwick Farm, again although on a heavy track, I think she has an abundance of ability and we should be able to see that on Saturday,’’ he said.
A return to a firmer surface won’t faze Cool Jakey as Schiller eyes his fourth win on the Joe Pride-trained sprinter in the EGroup Protective Services Handicap (1400m).
Also a last start Warwick Farm heavy track winner, one race after Shaken, the gelding rises sharply in class from his Benchmark 72 win but Schiller said he’ll also improve fitness wise for his third run back.
“He’s an interesting customer, he’s very laid back and only does what he has to so you never get a great guide on him,’’ Schiller said.
“He felt very steady home the other day over the last 200m but obviously he’d broken their hearts in the early and middle stages. The blinkers did a really good job, and hopefully he can keep improving.
Shaken wins at Warwick Farm on December 20
“I know he doesn’t like them going past him so if he can jump and run he’ll be a good chance again.
“It’s a big advantage with a horse that can adapt to anything, he can be ridden off speed but I think he’s a better high cruising horse.”
Cool Jakey was $2.80 favourite with TAB on Thursday.
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting