3 minute read

When trainer Scott Cameron put Sydney on the radar for his promising galloper Elouyou there was little chance anyone other than Jason Collett would be called up to ride.

The two old schoolmates from Pukekohe High will combine when Elouyou makes his Sydney debut in the Precise Air Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday, Cameron's first runner north of the border.

Their paths crossed as young teenagers in New Zealand and Cameron, 32, and Collett, 33, have stayed friends ever since.

"He's almost a year older than me, we started riding trackwork before school around the same time and we've been very good mates for the last 15 or 16 years,'' Cameron said.

"He always could ride and he's just gone on in leaps and bounds.

"I always had Jason in mind and I always kept in touch, he watches him race all the time and I put in his mind that there was a couple of suitable races and we were probably going to come up."

Cameron, son of multiple Group 1 winning trainer Russell Cameron who passed away in 2019, said Elouyou has been brought along patiently, hence him having just seven starts to date, and feels the best is yet to come.

While he has been runner-up in his past three starts, the trainer said he's had a couple of excuses, particularly last start at Flemington when run down late after leading over 1400m.

"I've been happy with his three runs this prep,'' Cameron aid.

"Going into his last two starts he had a few little niggling issues which we were worried about fitness wise and he felt the pinch late last start.

"Maybe being at his home track they can sometimes get a bit pumped up and Damian (Lane) had to use him a bit to get across, he would have loved for him to settle a bit in front.

"It probably took a bit of the finish out and might have cost him winning.

"But coming into Saturday it's probably the best I've had him all prep and the fittest he's been. So we're coming up there confident he should be right there."

It'll be a simple script for Collett to follow on Elouyou, $3.10 with TAB on Thursday, from his outside gate.

Cameron said he'd be more than comfortable with the horse leading but isn't going to get into any speed battles if something else wants the front.

He's confident enough Elouyou will handle soft ground but has a small reservation if there happens to be rain late in the day and the track becomes more testing.

"When you work on it at home I reckon he's probably a better horse on a soft track but until you get them under race day pressure you never know,'' he said.

"He's quick out of the barriers, he'll put himself there in a position and I'm sure he'll be there a long way.

"I've been able to gallop him a couple of times Sydney way now and he seems to do everything right, he's a pretty push button horse.

"He'll be up there on the speed somewhere, it wouldn't surprise me if he takes it up but if something wants to go silly he can sit behind. I'll leave that up to Jason."