Rejuvenated Gibbons out to ice comeback with Winter Cup victory
'Pretty much every Saturday since the Queensland carnival has been on, I've had a near-full book,' he said. 'Last year I won the Brisbane Cup, and it would be my plan normally to follow the carnivals around, but obviously with circumstances, I'm very happy to be doing what I'm doing. Thankfully I've had a bit of luck too, so it's been good.
'It's probably the best I've felt physically and mentally. When I was out I was pretty frustrated, but I look back now and I wouldn't change it. I think it got my mind in a good place and that seems to be showing in the results.'
Gibbons rides Changingoftheguard ($8.50 Sportsbet) for his former boss, Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, in the Saturday's Rosehill feature, the Winter Cup (2400m). The Lloyd Williams-owned import is first-up off a 1200m trial as he kicks off a second preparation in Australia.
Gibbons is yet to ride the six-year-old Galileo gelding, a group 2-winner over 2400m at Royal Ascot, but he was encouraged by the report from his dad, Andrew, who took Changingoftheguard to the Newcastle trial win.
'He was rapt with him,' he said. 'He said for a horse who was going first-up 2400, he was surprised how well he quickened. He said he felt terrific and he gave him a really strong hit-out.
'He knew before me that I was on him, and he gave me a good enough push that he was going as well as he can and was fit, so I'm looking forward to Saturday.
'It's not the normal thing you see in Australia, to be running first-up over 2400, but if he was still overseas, he'd be doing exactly that. I reckon you could easily see him running well, but over here, because you don't see it, you'd be a bit brave trusting it, but Kris would have him screwed down.'
Gibbons also rides Half Yours, a $3.90 favourite in the ninth, for Tony and Calvin McEvoy. The four-year-old was part of Gibbons' double on a heavy Rosehill track two weeks ago.
'I galloped him on Monday morning and even though he had a tough win, his work and how he was before and after it suggests he's taken no harm from that,' he said.
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'You are always a bit reserved when horses run so well, especially on wet tracks, whether they can back it up, but I'm glad I went and galloped him.'
He also partners with Lees in the fourth with Tasoraay, which was a $5 chance after a first-up win at Scone on May 16.
'I was desperate to ride him first up, but he kept drawing bad or there were wet tracks, so I missed out,' he said. 'Glad to be back on him because he was dominant first up, so hopefully he can back it up.'
He has Chris Waller-trained favourite Crusader Voyage ($3.80) in the first and was confident King Of Roseau ($11, seventh) and Stagnum ($9.50, fifth) would run well after riding them in trackwork or trials. His other rides are Miss Spacegirl ($12, race three), Bush Telegraph ($27, two) and Interjection ($13, six).
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