Caitlin Jones will be hoping for a Dubai fairytale in the early hours of Saturday morning when South Australian pair Parsifal and He’s A Balter race at Meydan.
The Will Clarken-trained duo will try and bookend the meeting with He’s A Balter drawing barrier four in the opening race – the $US60,000 Emmar Dubai Sprint Consolation over 1200m before Parsifal tackles the $US100,000 Listed Dubai Sprint over the 1200m in the final race on the card.
Jones has been entrusted with overseeing the pair on their international journey and said she was embracing the opportunity.
“(It’s) extremely overwhelming, it’s a very big city there is a lot to be seen and a lot be done, but the focus is purely on the horses,’’ Jones said on RadioTAB.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to get around too much, I’m taking in the experience.
“It’s truly an honour and better than I imagined,’’ she said.
He’s A Balter race will be run at 12.30am Adelaide time, while Parsifal will jump from barrier 12 run at 4.30am and Jones said riding against some of the world’s best was an opportunity she wasn’t taking for granted.
“Riding against James Doyle and William Buick, you can’t be intimidated,’’ Jones said.
“Be grateful for it, the experience can only make me ride better.
“It’s a privilege and I’m thrilled I get to do it,’’ she said.
Jones said both horses had adapted to their unfamiliar environment extremely well following a lengthy journey that saw the horses floated to Ballarat and then Melbourne. From there, the pair took a flight to Hong Kong before arriving in Dubai.
“They travelled really really well and have not missed a beat,’’ Jones said.
“They’ve got into a great routine.
“It’s a big thing to travel the horses such a long way but I’m impressed by them both,’’ she said.
