Former import hitting form can deliver again

Luke O’Connor’s $1500 fairytale horse Placo will chase a third win on end at Murray Bridge on Saturday.

After wins at Gawler in June and Morphettville in July, Placo will attempt to give his trainer the perfect start to the new racing season in Saturday’s Benchmark 76 handicap over 1400m.

With regular pilot Lachie Neindorf committed to the Phillip Stokes-trained Watadeel, O’Connor has turned to the jockey that edged out Lachlan Neindorf in last season’s Adelaide Jockey Premiership title, Rochelle Milnes.

He said Milnes partnered the six-year-old in a piece of work on Tuesday and both trainer and jockey were satisfied with the gallop.

“He’s trained on really well since his last win,” O’Connor said.

“Rochelle came in and gave him a gallop on Tuesday morning and it was really sharp so I’m expecting a really forward run on Saturday.

“We gave Lachie (Neindorf) first choice because he’s done all the work on him but he was committed to one of Stokesy’s which I totally understand and then we offered the ride to Jake (Toeroek) and he was already booked for Fast Bubbles.

“I asked Nick, Lachie’s manager, if Rochelle was available for the race which she was so we get one of the best riders in the state and we pull 1.5kg off him as well which is a big bonus.”

Placo, a $1500 Inglis Digital purchase that raced three times in the UK in 2023, has led or sat outside the leader in his two recent wins and, while O’Connor is comfortable with Milnes adopting the same tactics, he suspects the gelding may be able to take a sit behind two other on-speed horses in Synchro and Flashing Steel.

“I think there is a little bit more speed in Saturday’s race,” he said.

“We’ll be positive early and I think we might be able to get a nice sit off them, although I wouldn’t be against leading because he’s pretty versatile.”

Placo is $6 in most major markets while O’Connor’s other runners Eamonn’s Memory is a $71 outsider.