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Jack Pilkington has an extra special reason to win with Alabama State at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, not only because it would mean a city training breakthrough for him.
Jockey Tyler Schiller will wear black armbands when he rides the promising Hawkesbury three-year-old in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m) to mark the passing of one of his UK owners Caroline Gibbons earlier this week.
"Caroline was a friend of my mother, and wanted to be involved in a racehorse," Pilkington explained this morning.
"She was as proud as punch of Alabama State.
"The last message I got from Caroline was that she would get out here one day to see him race.
"I knew it would take an unexplainable miracle to do that because of her illness, but she will be with us in spirit when Alabama State races on Saturday."
An $80,000 purchase for Pilkington and his mate Jamie Piggott (son of the legendary late jockey Lester Piggott), at Book 2 of the Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast in January last year, the son of Alabama Express (Redoute's Choice stallion and Group 1 winner) races in the well-known colours of successful Sydney owner-breeder Peter Hortwitz for his ownership group.
Alabama State has raced only six times and is on a hat-trick path, having won his last two starts at his home track.
Pilkington got his fledgling career off and running by winning his first race with the colt in a Hawkesbury Maiden Handicap (1100m) on March 28, and always intended to turn him out win, lose or draw that day.
Alabama State returned with an impressive Midway Class 1 Handicap over the same distance on
August 22, and his trainer is confident he is ready to show his wares in town.
Jason Collett has partnered Alabama State in his two victories, but cannot make the colt's 52.5kg for his Rosehill assignment.
"Jason has first call whenever he has his weight, and Tyler has the opportunity when Jason can't ride him," Pilkington explained.
"Tyler rode Alabama State in his first trial this campaign (at Warwick Farm on July 26), and came out to Hawkesbury on Tuesday morning to gallop him.
"He left pretty happy with the colt's work."
Alabama State is the early favorite for Saturday's Midway, and his trainer was initially disappointed with his wide draw (14 in a field of 15), with the rail out five metres.
"After doing my own speed map, I wasn't so disappointed," Pilkington said.
"If Tyler can have him running around sixth, seventh or eighth, he'll get his chance to finish off strongly as he did in his recent Hawkesbury win.
"Alabama State is definitely running, and there's another Midway Benchmark 72 for him over a slightly longer 1300m again at Rosehill in a fortnight.
"I'm sure he has the ability to be contesting some better races down the track.
"Alabama State wasn't fully wound up when successful first-up, but has tightened up nicely since.
"His coat has improved, and it's reasonable to believe there will be natural improvement when he goes to town on Saturday."
Pilkington also explained that the ownership group before Alabama State kicked off his latest campaign took a vote to decide whether to geld him.
"The vote was to leave him as a colt, and it wasn't because of his manners, which are good, that consideration was given to geld him.
"It was because he is a big horse, and we've just got to keep him happy and healthy."
Pilkington will have no shortage of opposition from fellow Hawkesbury and Kembla Grange trainers in his attempt to crack it for an important city breakthrough.
Two of Hawkesbury's husband and wife training teams, Jason Attard and Lucy Keegan-Attard, and Mitch and Desiree Kearney have Leandra (Tom Sherry) and Lady Shenanigans (apprentice Jett Stanley) respectively.
Leading Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price have three representatives – Victory Lane (Adam Hyeronimus), Monte Kate (Tommy Berry) and Spirit Of Varanasi (Dylan Gibbons).
Team Price's Kembla counterparts Mitchell Beer (Shalook) and Ross McConville (C'mon Mate) also have runners.
Blake Spriggs rides his recent Newcastle winner Shalook, and Rachel King has the C'mon Mate mount.
Another Kembla Grange trainer Joe Ible has not declared a rider for Jinsoku, who drew the outside barrier, and also accepted with him at his home meeting on Saturday in a Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) against his own sex.
