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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Blake Spriggs made a conscious move some time ago to focus on riding at provincial and country venues but always said he’d make an exception for the right horse.

Jockey Blake Spriggs (Pic: Bradley Photos)

And he believes unbeaten three-year-old Headwall fits into that category.

Spriggs is keen to see what the gelding can do first-up in the Vinery Yearlings Handicap (1000m) at Kensington on Wednesday after having to sit out racing last Saturday when trainer Matthew Smith elected to miss the Midway at Randwick.

“I said about a year ago I’m done with going to town for horses because you’ve got to give up four or five rides at the provincials on a Saturday and they’ve got to win to make the same money,’’ he said.

“It’s nice to ride in town but you can’t make a living off one or two rides on a Saturday.

“I sat on the lounge making a scratching fee on Saturday rather than having half a dozen rides at Newcastle.

“I don’t want to do it unless I’ve got a horse I really like, and this horse is that.”

Interestingly, Spriggs has an affinity with Headwall’s family having ridden both his mother Positive Quest and half-brother Karaoke King to victory.

Add to that wins on members of the gelding’s extended family like Circle Of Power, Royal Adventure, Young Huit, Raise The Level and Aperol Sprint.

Headwall made his debut at Newcastle in July and ran away with a 900m maiden after conceding a start. He backed it up some six weeks later at Kembla Grange and Smith has been patient with him since.

Spriggs, who has the “Group 1 winning jockey” tag against his name from his Metropolitan victory on Sir John Hawkwood in 2016, said both wins had merit for different reasons.

“He won at Newcastle like a very nice horse. For mine he had no right to win that race,’’ he said.

“He was on the back foot at the top of the straight, five or six lengths off the lead, and ended up putting a gap on them. It wasn’t so much what he beat it was how he beat them.

“The track was firm at Kembla and I think he pulled up a bit shin sore from memory but he was still good enough to win.

“I think he’s got a lot of potential and his trials tell me he’s come back the way I hoped he would.”

Smith has nominated Headwall for the Group 2 $1 million Arrowfield Sprint (1200m) on Day 2 of the Star Championships – it’s not uncommon for a promising horse to be entered for a feature race – but Spriggs said he still has a way to go.

Headwall, $3.50 with TAB on Tuesday, had his first trial just over a month ago, finishing fifth, before easily winning his second at Hawkesbury on January 24.

Headwall wins a Hawkesbury trial on January 24

“He trialled against Golden Mile and some sharp horses at Randwick, and for mine he was going as good as them but he has to do it on race day,’’ Spriggs said.

“If he comes up the way he’s promising I think he’s right in that race and should have better races in store.

“I think he’s a nice horse in the making and I’d be surprised if he can’t be competitive.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Kensington meeting