WARRNAMBOOL trainer Peter Chow hopes the riding brilliance of William Pike on Jazz Star may offset the inside barrier the five-year-old has drawn in the $250,000 Country Mile Series Final at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
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Chow chased the star jockey to ride Jazz Star after the mare won a heat in the series at Colac last month.
"'Pikey' is one of the best jockeys going around," the popular trainer said.
"I thought Jazz Star would run well but I'm a bit concerned after she drew barrier one.
"I'm worried we'll be caught up back on the fence in traffic.
"It's up to Pikey to find a way through the traffic.
"I think Jazz Star's best racing pattern is to be held up for one last run at them but Pikey may see things differently.
"She's been a good horse mare since we started training her."
Jazz Star's stablemate Kent Street has drawn barrier four in the 1600 metres and will have the services of talented jockey Craig Newitt in the final.
"I'm just a bit worried that Kent Street has not won over 1600 metres," Chow said.
"Kent Street has been running consistently.
"His best chance may be if Craig holds him up for one last run at them."
Fellow Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams also has two runners in the rich final.
The last-start Ballarat winner Intellective will be ridden by Horsham jockey Dean Yendall while stablemate Fiorente Lass has the services of top jockey Jamie Kah, who leads the Victorian Jockey Premiership.
In-form Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde saddles up Glassey Miss in the final.
Fellow Warrnambool trainers Daniel Bowman and Lindsey Smith also have runners at the Moonee Valley meeting.
Winslow training export Ciaron Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, has Sir Dragonet running in the $5 million All-Star Mile in the feature race at the Valley.
Sir Dragonet won the Cox Plate last year.
Sir Dragonet ran seventh at his first run back from a spell in this campaign.
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