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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Andrew Gibbons says he would give up a book of provincial rides to partner promising three-year-old Karedada at Randwick on Saturday.

Jockey Andrew Gibbons (Pic: Bradley Photos).

With the provincial meeting scheduled at Kembla, as opposed to the much closer Newcastle, this weekend it’s not certain he would have had to – but he’s excited to see what Karedada can do in the Midway Handicap (1200m).

The Angela Davies-trained galloper has stamped himself as a horse with plenty of potential in three wins from four starts, including two this time in, and Gibbons said at this stage the sky’s the limit.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if Newcastle was on Saturday, I would have been happy to miss it to ride this horse,’’ he said.

“I reckon he’s pretty smart. He possibly could be a Provincial Midway Championships sort of horse later on but where he’s at now he should be more than competitive in a Midway.

“We’ll find out where he sits, we both have a good opinion of him and we’re confident he’s up to that level but from the draw he’s going to have to be smart.”

Karedada came up with gate 16 in the Midway, he opened $5.50 with TAB on Wednesday and firmed quickly to $4.40, and while a wide alley is rarely ideal on paper it’s not something Gibbons is going to panic about.

He feels the gelding is able to produce his best when ridden differently to his easy second-up win at Gosford on Anzac Day, where he sat outside the leader.

With the Randwick 1200m offering virtually a straight run to the home turn he hopes to be able to bring the horse back a couple of pegs in the run, confident he has the sprint to pick them up.

“I rode him too close the other day at Gosford, but we only rode him that close because we were at Gosford,’’ he said.

“I think he will be a better horse ridden a bit quieter so that draw might help me ride him how I want.

“He probably didn’t show it as much last start because I rode him a bit forward of his comfort zone but when you leave him alone, like the two times at Newcastle, his turn of foot is outstanding.”

Gibbons said despite only having four starts, Karedada has the nature of a much more experienced galloper and that’s helping him take steps quickly.

“For an inexperienced horse, if someone jumped on him who didn’t know him they’d swear he’d had 12 or 15 starts,’’ he said.

“He’s just very switched on, he has a relaxed nature and a great turn of foot.

“Angela is very good at knowing the horses, he’s an immature horse so she hasn’t rushed him and she waits for the right races which is why he has a good strike rate.”

Davies’ 2020 Provincial Championships winner Through The Cracks is back in action in the SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Handicap (1100m).

Karedada wins at Gosford on April 25

The eight-year-old has had stop-start campaigns over the past few years but Gibbons, who hasn’t partnered the horse in a race since 2019, said his recent trials give him the impressive there could still be another win in him.

“He’s had his fair shar of issues, I haven’t sat on him race day for a while and I had a bit of luck on him early days,’’ he said.

“With this sort of horse you’re not going to trials to find out how good they are. It’s about how they are feeling and if they are still willing and he has shown plenty of zest.

“He’s shown he has a spring in his step and wants to be there still and that’s the main thing we are looking for. If he does turn up and perform to his best he’s well up to that sort of race.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting