Aussie Cartwright well-placed on Group 1 day at Ellerslie

Expat Australian jockey Matt Cartwright is living the dream in New Zealand as he gets set to partner two favourites on Proisir Plate Day at Ellerslie on Saturday.

The Cambridge-based hoop will reunite with New Zealand’s darling of the turf, Well Written, in the Group 1 Proisir Plate (1400m), while he has also secured the ride on Queensland raider Dream Roca in the Group 3 Sunline Vase (1200m).

Both horses won their respective age group races at the Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie in January, with Cartwright aboard the Stephen Marsh-trained Well Written, while Queensland jockey Ben Thompson rode the Liam Birchley-trained Dream Roca.

Thompson has ridden Dream Roca in all seven of her starts to date, with the pair winning the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and placing in the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) and Listed Dalrello Stakes (1000m), and Cartwright is looking forward to stepping in this weekend.

“It is very exciting,” Cartwright said. “She looks like she is going to be a very good chance on Saturday and she has got a very good gate (2).

“I have had a couple of gallops on her since she has arrived and she feels great to me, she looks super and her form speaks for itself. I am excited to be partnering her. She looks a good winning chance.”