Spriggs, Craig to bounce back at Rosehill

By Warwick Barr

SYDNEY, June 28 AAP - An eventful week could end on a winning note for both apprentice jockey Blake Spriggs and trainer Rod Craig.

Spriggs will ride last-start winner Raise The Level for Craig at Rosehill on Saturday - just three days after his run of late season form almost came to an end with a thud.

He was riding Jingle All The Way for Craig when the two-year-old fell heavily at Canterbury on Wednesday.

The young rider escaped injury but was stood down from his remaining mounts at Canterbury before fulfilling Wyong commitments on Thursday.

"I've got good rides again on Saturday so I'll be right to go," Spriggs said.

Raise The Level helped Spriggs regain some traction among Sydney's jockey ranks with an all-the-way win at Rosehill on June 9.

He continued his form with a Warwick Farm victory on Secret Delight last Saturday and Craig said Spriggs' work ethic made him an obvious choice to keep the ride on Raise The Level in the Hakka Foods 2YO Handicap (1200m).

"All Blake needed was an opportunity because with his claim down to one-and-a-half kilograms he was better off going to Newcastle and those places (on a Saturday) where he would get six or seven rides," Craig said.

"But he comes and does the hard work (at Warwick Farm), riding for quite a few trainers.

"He doesn't lack confidence and his father (leading country jockey Dale Spriggs) has taught him very well."

Raise The Level, a $6.50 chance in first markets, is also heading the right way after leaving his rivals without excuse in his Rosehill win.

"Early on he had a bit of a climbing action but he seems to be getting on top of that now," Craig said.

Raise The Level is a son of leading sire Stratum, the 2005 Golden Slipper winner who didn't win beyond 1200m.

But Craig believes Raise The Level's future could be at 1600m and further.

"I'd say he'd be a 1600-metre horse minimum but to his credit he's winning over shorter distances to start with so it's a good sign for a two-year-old," Craig said.

Spriggs has five Rosehill rides, including Pimpala Secret in the feature race, the Civic Stakes as well as Thumbtacks, the Chris Waller-trained galloper who is pressing for favouritism in the Four'n Twenty Legendary Angus Handicap (1900m).