Not a good week for reigning champion jockey Moore after receiving ridiculous suspension
IN the context of his racing life it has not been a good week for our local riding star and reigning champion jockey Ryan Moore.
Just as he has been getting into top gear in his pursuit of back to back championships he got a ridiculous suspension imposed on him at Epsom recently.
To exacerbate the situation a fall at Windsor on Monday evening left Ryan with a wrist injury that has required time to heal, enforcing his absence from the saddle for the week to date.
He is hoping to return tomorrow.
As if this were not enough, news broke on Monday that the star of the Sir Michael Stoute yard Harbinger had been retired having suffered a serious leg injury whilst working at home. After his romp in the King George at Ascot, Harbinger was set to go off a short priced favourite for the prestigious International Stakes at the York Ebor Festival next week.
Ryan would have been on board and good opportunities to win these top class races are hard to come by making Harbinger's defection a big disappointment for the champion.
In his absence, I am confident that Rip Van Winkle can register the fifth UK Group One success of the season for his incomparable Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.
Regular readers may recall that I felt Rip Van Winkle was not fully primed on his last start in the Sussex Stakes, the feature race of the recent Glorious Goodwood Festival.
Despite that he was still only narrowly defeated and the benefit of that effort should be seen on Tuesday. In addition the step up in distance to 1m2f is a further plus as I am of the opinion that will prove his ideal trip this year. I retain the view that his principal target is the Breeders Cup in America and I would be very surprised if he skipped next week's engagement as some rumours this week have suggested. The York race looks a perfect stepping stone in his progress to the American Festival.
The Falmer trainer Sheena West will be hoping her staying handicapper Goodwood Starlight can reproduce a performance comparable to his last when he takes to the track at Newbury today.
His saunter to victory in an Epsom handicap a few weeks ago has resulted in a steep rise in the weights.
This is a higher grade contest and on some of his earlier form he would struggle to be competitive off of this type of mark but his last effort has to give connections hope.
Mark Hoad sends C'Mon You Irons to Kempton tonight and he has dropped him into a claimer as he suggested he would in last week's column. The claiming price of 12,000 will mean prospective purchasers will need to see a definite return to form from this winning sprinter.
However, I have doubts that Kempton will prove the ideal course for C'Mon You Irons to show his true ability. It is not a hard and fast rule but many horses seem to find it difficult to reproduce their best on both the Lingfield and Kempton surfaces, showing a marked preference for one or the other.
My hope is he will just give a sign that he is returning to form and with his rating slipping to that off which he recorded a hat-trick last summer, show that his winning chance may not be too far away.
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Weather for Lewes
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
