A suspension at Doomben has not dampened jockey Michael Hellyer‘s enthusiasm for his ride on his favourite horse Baccarat Baby in the Queensland Guineas.
Hellyer and Baccarat Baby are set to tackle Saturday’s Group Two race over 1600 metres at Eagle Farm.
Baccarat Baby was originally considered a Queensland Oaks filly but trainer David Vandyke decided she would not stay the 2200m and switched her campaign to the Guineas.
Hellyer was suspended for eight days after finishing second on the Vandyke-trained two-year-old McCovey Code at Doomben on Wednesday.
It is was a double blow to Hellyer because most of the crowd thought he had won in a tight photo
The suspension, which starts on Sunday night, was never going to threaten the Guineas ride because he had already been declared as the rider.
Hellyer has had a great association with Baccarat Baby winning five races on her and finishing an unlucky fifth in the Group One Flight Stakes in Sydney last spring.
They combined to win the Listed Princess Stakes last month and after a fourth in the Gold Coast Bracelet were second to Military Zone in the Group Three Fred Best Classic on May 25.
“It was a great run in the Fred Best and I am really looking forward to Saturday,” Hellyer said.
“There are big wraps on Military Zone and we were just as good.”
“She is such an honest filly she deserves a big race win.”