After an emotional win by Another Wil at Flemington, Jamie Kah and Ciaron Maher will chase Melbourne Cup glory with Okita Soushi.
Jamie Kah rode the emotional rollercoaster on Victoria Derby Day.
Successful in the day's feature for South Australian trainer Andrew Gluyas aboard Goldrush Guru, Kah was brought to tears when she combined with Ciaron Maher to win aboard Another Wil in the colours of Colin McKenna who died last week, the result of a brain tumour.
A whack in the face left Kah with a bloodied nose prior to the Wakeful Stakes while she copped a 10-meeting careless riding suspension earlier in the day.
With Derby Day behind her, Kah's attention is now on the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday where she will combine with Maher in a bid to claim her first win in Australia's most famous race.
Kah rides Okita Soushi who ran 11th in last year's Cup for two-time Melbourne Cup winning Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien.
Okita Soushi has been a work in progress for the Maher stable, building some speed into his legs while at the same time getting him fit for the 3200m journey on Tuesday.
Kah will be having her first ride about Okita Soushi, but partnered with the stayer in a gallop before he was successful in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on October 25.
That performance followed a second-place finish in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 12.
Kah had been booked to ride the Lloyd Williams-owned Point King, but that stayer was scratched from the Cup on Cox Plate Day and Maher moved swiftly to book her for the ride on Okita Soushi.
"I'm happy to be on Okita Soushi," Kah said.
"You can't knock Ciaron what he does with them.
"For a staying horse, he feels like he's got a nice turn of foot. He's quite sharp, so I'm looking forward to riding him."
Kah said Okita Soushi felt like he had acclimatised well to Australian conditions.
She said she prefers to partner horses that have had the experience of racing under Australian conditions than those that are yet to race here.
"I don't trust them, horses first-up coming from overseas," Kah said.
"They can take a long time to acclimatise, and I think this horse is just starting to find form.
"Two starts back he was impressive in a Group 2 when he ran second, and he was fantastic in winning at Moonee Valley.
"There are not many horses that can come down from overseas and fire straight away.
"He's taken time to acclimatise and now he's finding form, hopefully there's a bit more form from him on Melbourne Cup Day."
