Champion jockey Damien Oliver has added Canberra star Voice Commander to his list of rides at the Magic Millions meeting at the Gold Coast on January 10.
Trainer Nick Olive has booked Oliver to replace Voice Commander's regular rider Tye Angland in the $500,000 Magic Millions Cup (1400m).
Angland is unavailable for the Magic Millions meeting as he will be serving a suspension.
While the suspension has robbed Angland of a great opportunity to win the richest race of his career, it has saved his from a difficult situation as he would have had to choose between Voice Commander and Black Piranha as his mount in the $500,000 race.
Angland won yesterday's $100,000 Goldmarket at the Gold Coast on Black Piranha for Rosehill trainer Con Karakatsanis.
He has also been the regular rider of Voice Commander with wins in the Goulburn Cup and Festival Stakes at Rosehill on the four-year-old in the last five weeks.
Olive has freshened Voice Commander for the drop back to 1400m in the MM Cup after his winning run came to end when he failed in the Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 20.
'It's a great get Damien, he is a world class jockey and we're lucky to have him riding for us,' Olive said.
Voice Commander has recovered well from the Villiers and assuming he travels well he should be very competitive again.'
Olive is sending in form stablemate Grand Rhumba to the Gold Coast with Voice Commander and is hoping Oliver can also ride the sprinter in a $250,000 sprint on the MM program.
Grand Rhumba has won his last four starts at Goulburn and Canberra meetings.
Oliver is building a strong book of rides for the Magic Millions meeting with the Melbourne champion booked to ride for Gai Waterhouse in the $2 million MM Classic and $1 million MM Trophy.
He will stick with Waterhouse's debut Randwick winner Shadow Assassin in the MM Classic with Craig Williams to ride stablemate Horizons.
Oliver will be riding Rock Kingdom for Waterhouse in the MM Trophy with Michael Rodd on stablemate Bhutane Dane.
