Rodd has high hopes for ‘raw’ Whozyadeeler
Whozyadeeler is looking to remain undefeated in three starts when he lines up in a 1600m Class 2 at Eagle Farm on Wednesday, but jockey Michael Rodd admits that the gelding is a long way from the complete package despite dominating in both wins.
The four-year-old son of Dundeel has done everything within himself to date, winning by a cumulative margin of 8.25 lengths in just two career starts.
Trained by Queensland’s premier gaffer, Tony Gollan, the talented youngster looks to be winning on his ear on raw ability alone.
After triumphing at 1200m and 1350m, the step up to the 1600m on Wednesday looks to suit Whozyadeeler.
“He’s a very exciting young horse, he’s had two starts for two wins and he is still very raw,” Rodd said.
“He is a long way from the complete package; he has a lot of maturing to do, both physically and mentally.”
Rodd added that Whozyadeeler does get quite hot and flustered on race day, but he believes that will fix itself with time and experience.
“He doesn’t help himself much on race day,” he said.
“He does get quite hot, but that’ll slowly come out of him as he gets a bit older.
“He’s doing it all on natural ability.”
On Wednesday, Whozyadeeler steps out to the mile for the first time and will be competing against some older, more seasoned horses, but he is still likely to be a firm favourite from gate one.
“This is definitely his acid test, he’s got the 59kg but it is nice to offset that with a good barrier,” Rodd said.
The rail at Eagle Farm will be in the +11.5m position for the entire circumference of the course, which could give an advantage to those around the speed, so Rodd hopes that his mount can settle closer from the inside alley.
“He always gets out of the gates quite well, it’s just been that we have switched him off because he can get quite revvy,” he said.
“From the barrier I won’t be pushing him up, but I definitely won’t be dragging him back either.
“I’ll be riding him where he lands and hopefully that is either three back the fence or maybe even box seat it if they aren’t going too fast.”
There does not look to be a great deal of speed in the race, with Triple The Fun shaping as the likely leader, so with even luck, Rodd is hopeful that he can navigate a clear path off the fence in the straight and allow his mount to show his turn of foot.
“That’s what has won him his races,” he said.
“He was on a Heavy 10 the other day and he had to circle them and he copped a bit of a bump coming around the turn, but he just absorbed that and went on his way.
“His first start he was in an awkward spot when the rail was out and he came down the outside and put them away very quickly.
“Obviously up against a tougher lot here, but he does have that turn of foot which not a lot of horses can present.
“He really lets go. He’s very electric.”
Rodd also has the envious job of steering another undefeated Gollan runner on Saturday in the QTIS 3YO Jewel at the Gold Coast, where Miami Fleiss is likely to start as a very short favourite.
“She just had a trial last Tuesday where she bumped into Oh Five Glory, who had the set of blinkers on and is a very good trialler around Doomben,” he said.
“She did a good job, it was a bit of foreign land for her, she didn’t lead but instead sat outside the leaders, so she just got a little bit lost wanting to get down to the fence.”
The form was franked from her last start on Saturday when Georgie’s Pride came out and won by 2.75 lengths at Eagle Farm, amplifying Rodd’s confidence ahead of Saturday’s $500,000 feature.
“She’s very, very exciting,” he said.
“Georgie’s Pride came out and absolutely trounced them in the last on Saturday, so that is always good to see.
“As long as she is fit and well on Saturday, I’d expect her to be very hard to beat.”
The three-year-old daughter of Spirit Of Boom has won her two starts by a combined 10.5 lengths and has been partnered by the Melbourne Cup-winning hoop on both occasions.
Rodd and Gollan have combined 73 times in the past 12 months for a win strike rate of 31% and a return on investment of 40%.
Very good write up Nicholas