Eddery just fails to reach century again
Pat Eddery’s last-gasp attempt to ride a century of winners for the 29th time in the past 30 seasons was thwarted when he failed to gain the one success he needed from six intended rides on the final day of the campaign at Wolverhampton today.
There was no hiding the 11 times champion’s disappointment to just miss out on continuing his remarkable scoring rate, having by common consent been riding at the top of his form all season.
Having come tantalisingly close on the 99 winner mark, he said: “That’s how it goes, we gave it a good go and I could do no more, it was better to have had and carry on having a cut after the Turf season ended rather than sitting at home and then wondering whether I could have done it or not.”
But he went on: “It has still been a good year really all things considering as some of the stables I ride for have not been firing on all cylinders - hopefully they will pick up again next year.
“It is not easy to get on the top class horses, Aidan O’Brien and Godolphin seem to win all the major races, but things can change and might be our turn again soon.”
It was back in 1982 that a century eluded him for the only time during the previous 29 seasons, but that year he spent a great deal of his time in his native Ireland riding as first jockey to the legendary Vincent O’Brien.
Indeed he emerged as champion jockey in the Emerald Isle that season, and he reasoned: “They were great times and I rode 75 winners over there and still managed more than 80 over here so I couldn’t really complain.”
Eddery will celebrate his 51st birthday before the 2003 Flat season gets underway next March, but he has no thoughts of retiring and he is in sight of cracking Gordon Richards’s all time record of 4870 winners in Britain.
He would love to top the roll of honour and reasoned: “It would be really something to beat it, there is still a long way to go, but when you get as close as this I will keep trying as long as I stay fit and healthy and keep getting decent horses to ride.
“I am going skiing with the family at the weekend – a bit of snow in the face will make a change from the sand on the all weather.
“And before we know we will be back at Doncaster for the start of the Turf season again in the spring – and a century will be the first target, that’s for sure.”
It had not been a good omen for things to come when his first attempt of the day on Carols Choice was swiftly ended by a dramatic false start to division one of the Bet Direct At Dunstall Park Handicap.
Gemstastic lurched at the front of his stall and broke it of its hinges and as a result he burst out before his rivals and actually made contact with Carols Choice, but the ‘false start’ flag was immediately raised.
However, Gemstastic, along with Carols Choice, who started favourite, and the second favourite Off Hire could not be pulled up before they completed the scheduled five furlongs of the race and under the Rules had to be withdrawn.
The stewards held an inquiry into the incident and they were satisfied that the three riders involved had made every effort to pull their mounts up before they reached the winning post but were unable to do so and no action was taken.
Starter John Leech reported that Gemstastic ‘charged the gates and damaged them’ and as it was the second time in 12 months the gelding had been reported for a problem at the start they informed his trainer Red Hollinshead that future similar behaviour may render Gemstastic being reported to the stewards of the Jockey Club.
There were seven runners left for the ‘re-run’ and the prize went the way of the John Spearing-trained Double Brew, ridden by Steve Drowne who started at 5-2 in the reformed betting market, with Tigress, the new favourite at 2-1, only sixth.
Spearing said with a smile: “That was a bit of luck, can they do the same when we bring him back here for a race on Friday”!
There was a deduction of 45p in the £ on bets struck before the false start.
The stalls are currently on trial and Racetech will now carry out an investigation into the incident, but it was stressed that there is an inbuilt safety feature to try and prevent injury when a horse tries to duck out under the stall.
Half an hour later Essequibo finished only third to the dead-heaters Ellovamul and Leonor De Soto in the betdirect.co.uk Selling Stakes.
Ellovamul, who is trained by Ian Wood and was ridden by Paul Doe, was retained without a bid, but Mick Channon’s team had to go to 8,500gns to retain Leonor De Soto, who was partnered by Chris Catlin.
Eddery’s hopes rested on Engulfed in the Littlewoods Bet Direct Maiden Stakes, but she was only sixth to Just A Glimmer and then Up Tempo found J W M Turner and Massey too good in the Bet Direct on 0800 32 93 93 Handicap.
Fast Track was odds-on to complete a four-timer in the Bet Direct Football Cashbacks Handicap, but the gelding finished stone last behind David Barker’s Celtic Mill who was partnered by good apprentice Lee Enstone.
Enstone completed a double on the Paul Johnson-trained Howards Hero in the second division of the Bet Direct at Dunstall Park Handicap.
Gay Kelleway told Eddery that she thought Glory Quest ‘had a great chance’ in his final throw in the Happy New Year From Bet Direct Handicap but the top-weight finished only fifth.
Ironically the race went to Forever Lord, who like Carols Choice is trained by Derek Haydn Jones, but Steve Drowne had the ride and was completing a double.
Ian Mongan, who was successful on the Gerald Cottrell-trained Just A Glimmer says his appeal against a four day suspension (January 8-11 inclusive) for careless riding at Lingfield yesterday, will be heard by the Jockey Club on Friday.
