Hutchings to ride Melody Belle

The Informant reports:

Former leading New Zealand apprentice Rory Hutchings has received the call to ride Melody Belle in her Sydney debut at Randwick next Saturday.

Originally Blake Shinn had been booked for the ride in the Gr. 2 Light Fingers Stakes, but he was stood down during the week with a careless riding suspension, leaving trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards to seek a replacement.

Sydney-based Hutchings, who has been back in New Zealand this week and rode at Te Rapa today, has filled the bill on last season's champion New Zealand two-year-old.