By Michael Lynch
Even leading jockeys are not immune from self doubt and reflection. Racing is all about confidence: when riders are on the crest of a wave, openings seem to magically appear at the right moment, and in a driving finish the bob of the head decision goes the way of the jockey in form rather than the one seeking to ride his way out of a mini slump.
By his own admission, multiple group 1-winning rider Brad Rawiller was not at the top of his game in the past month, but he got back into his stride in tremendous fashion last weekend when he partnered Black Heart Bart to victory in the group 1 CF Orr Stakes.
Brad Rawiller's winning ride on Black Heart Bart on Saturday has given his confidence a boost.Credit: Getty Images
Now Rawiller will be hoping to strike again this weekend and confirm that he is well and truly in the groove when he is listed to partner Black Heart Bart's stablemate Flamberge in the group 1 Lightning Stakes.
The pair have tasted victory together at the highest level when Flamberge won the group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley last March. That was an emotional night as Flamberge was then trained by Peter Moody and was his last big winner before he walked away from training.
Rawiller, like many top sportsmen, is often the most critical judge of his own performance and he certainly endured some soul searching after getting things wrong in the recent $1 million Magic Millions Cup at the Gold Coast on hot favourite Lucky Hussler, who ran unplaced as a result of the rider's tactics.
The jockey admits he thought long and hard after that ride but if he was nursing any demons, they were well and truly slayed in the Orr. Trainer Darren Weir made a point of praising his jockey after the race, saying: "He's been down on himself a little bit, but hopefully it gives him confidence and he gets back to the old Brad Rawiller that he used to be."
Rawiller was subsequently honest enough to open up about his self doubt and how important getting back on the board in big races is to a jockey.
"It's been tough the last couple of months. Lucky Hussler is not a ride I was happy about. I was trying to do the right thing but made an error before the turn. I regretted it. We have all had bad times."
While Winx is undoubtedly queen of the Australian turf and showed how brilliant she was on her return at Randwick on Monday, Rawiller, while not suggesting Black Heart Bart could turn the tables if they met, believes that many have wrongly doubted the gelding's ability to compete over middle distances at the highest level because of one disappointing effort in the Cox Plate behind the wonder mare.
He had got much closer to her in a three-horse race at Caulfield earlier in the spring, a tactical affair over 2000 metres in which Rawiller tried to make the running – which didn't really suit his mount.
He believes that was a better indication of the Weir-trained runner's ability at middle distances. His targets through the autumn remain open, but Rawiller partnered him to a group 1 victory at 1800 metres in the Underwood Stakes, so knows he gets at least that far in the highest grade.
"When Winx beat us here she beat us two lengths. She might have had a little bit there, but she didn't have six lengths on us.
"The Cox Plate was just one of those races, he didn't handle the track that day ... that's how it is. "
Given the success that he and Black Heart Bart have enjoyed in the past 12 months, a period when they have won four group 1 races together, it must be tempting to regard him as the best he has ridden.
Rawiller won't do that, at least not yet, anyway.
"I wish I could say he was but he's not. Weekend Hussler was an absolute champion horse.
"He was the best in the world over a mile on his day. Things went wrong with him. Black Heart Bart is an absolute champion in his own right but I can't say he's better than Weekend Hussler, because Weekend Hussler was something out of the box."