It’s good to be back, says Dylan Browne McMonagle
Champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle returned from a spell on the sidelines at Roscommon ahead of Qipco Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday. Picture: Healy Racing
Dylan Browne McMonagle is looking forward to Qatar Racing British Champions Day at Ascot this weekend after making his long-awaited return to action at Roscommon on Monday.
Last year’s Irish champion Flat jockey was hospitalised after suffering a heavy fall at Bellewstown in late August and had not ridden competitively since, missing key autumn fixtures such as the Irish Champions Festival and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend.
He looked to have a good chance of making a winning comeback aboard Joseph O’Brien’s 10-11 favourite Big Cypress in the Boyle Maiden, but the three-year-old was a spent force from the home turn and finished a disappointing sixth behind Jim Bolger’s Teoest (7-4).
Browne McMonagle was also well beaten on the Willie Mullins-trained Rakki later on the card, but was nevertheless pleased to be back in the swing of things.
“It’s good to be back, it’s been a long time. It felt good,” he said.
“We’re back healthy and happy and doing what we want to be doing.
“It was a long seven weeks, but we’re back and that’s the main thing.”
The rider’s Saturday rides are set to include Highwayman, who having won the St Leger at Doncaster last month under a history-making Saffie Osborne is set to take on his elders for the first time in the Qatar Racing British Champions Long Distance Cup.
He can also be expected to be reunited with his Irish Oaks winner Johanna Walsh if she is given the green light to line up in the Qatar Racing British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
“It’s a good weekend ahead. Hopefully we get in the winner’s enclosure soon,” the rider added.
Highwayman is among 12 potential runners in the Long Distance Cup, with star stayer Scandinavia one of four contenders for Aidan O’Brien alongside Queenstown, Pierre Bonnard, and Amelia Earhart.
The home team is headed by George Scott’s Caballo De Mar, who inflicted a shock defeat on Scandinavia when successfully defending his crown in the Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend. John and Thady Gosden’s Gregory and Amiloc from Ralph Beckett’s yard are also in the mix.
Constitution River is set to drop back to a mile after being supplemented for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
The French Derby and Coral-Eclipse winner has finished third on his last couple of starts over a mile and quarter in the Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes and it will be fascinating to see how he fares over the shorter distance.
Charlie Appleby’s Talk Of New York has also been supplemented for a 13-strong QEII that includes Rayif (Francis-Henri Graffard), More Thunder (William Haggas), Ten Bob Tony (Ed Walker) and Zavateri (Eve Johnson Houghton).
Almeraq heads a list of 17 confirmations for the Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint Stakes.
The Haggas-trained four-year-old has already won the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and the Sprint Cup at Group One level this season and he will be a warm order to add to his tally against a field that features the 2024 winner of this race, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue, and Karl Burke’s filly Soul Love, who has been supplemented after a Group Three win in Ireland last month.
Kalpana could bid for a third straight win in the Qatar Racing British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes for trainers’ title-chasing Andrew Balding.
It is a quick turnaround for the five-year-old after finishing fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe less than a fortnight ago, but she clearly excels at Ascot, having also won the King George this summer.
Balding has also supplemented See The Fire and Graffard has added Tajlina to form part of a potential field of 15.
