Top jockeys set for Hall of Fame nod; Corey Brown undergoes surgery on spine
Kerrin McEvoy and expatriate Zac Purton are on track for Australian racing’s ultimate honour after both notching incredible milestones on the weekend.
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Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy is making a compelling case for Hall of Fame selection after capping his memorable season with a Group 1 double at Eagle Farm.
And expatriate Zac Purton is also pushing his claims for Australian racing’s ultimate honour by riding his 1000th winner in Hong Kong.
Hugh Bowman has finished 2018-19 as the nation’s leading Group 1 rider with 11 majors but McEvoy’s achievements have been phenomenal this season.
McEvoy’s wins on Trekking in the Stradbroke Handicap and Prince Fawaz in the JJ Atkins gives him seven Group 1 wins for the season.
His major wins include a third Melbourne Cup on Cross Counter and he rode The Autumn Sun to big-race wins in the Golden Rose, Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas.
McEvoy also partnered Redzel to a second successive Everest win and scored on Exhilirates in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic, two prestigious races which don’t carry Group 1 status.
In total, McEvoy has ridden 75 Group 1 winners during his career to be 11th on the all-time list. The 10 jockeys ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame including contemporaries, Damien Oliver, Hugh Bowman and Glen Boss.
Purton’s win on Thanks Forever at Sha Tin on Saturday brought up his Hong Kong milestone. The only other jockey to ride 1000 or more winners in Hong Kong is Douglas Whyte, who retired earlier this year with 1813 wins.
Whyte rode in Hong Kong for 23 seasons while Purton has got to 1000 wins in less than 12 full seasons.
Purton has won a career total of 36 Group 1 races including 16 in Hong Kong and 10 in Australia. He has also won major races in England, Japan, Macau and Singapore.
McEvoy and Purton are two of the world’s best jockeys and are tremendous ambassadors for Australian racing. Both are deserving of Hall of Fame honours but will have to wait until the next induction ceremony in 2021 to learn if they have been given the coveted award.
BROWN SET FOR LONG RECOVERY
Corey Brown underwent surgery late Sunday after suffering serious injuries in a fall from Lord Arthur in the Queensland Derby.
The champion jockey will be out of the saddle indefinitely after suffering a fracture of his C7 verterbra, fractured sternum and punctured lung.
Doctors decided to operate to stabilise Brown’s spinal fracture after determining it was too risky to have him flown back to Sydney.
Brown’s wife, Kylie, reported the jockey is in a lot of pain but remains in good spirits. He has full movement of his arms and legs and did not suffer any head injuries.
Lord Arthur broke down in the incident and was later euthanized.
Racing Queensland stewards took evidence from jockeys Tommy Berry, Tim Clark and Matthew McGillivray before adjourning the inquiry in Brown’s absence.
EVERYTHING COMING UP CUMMINGS
Trainer Anthony Cummings and his son, James, both snared Group 1 wins at Eagle Farm.
Anthony Cummings’s boom two-year-old colt Prince Fawaz won the JJ Atkins Plate and is now being rested ahead of a spring campaign that is likely to include the Golden Rose, Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate.
Trekking gave Godolphin trainer James Cummings his eighth Group 1 win of the season with his Stradbroke Handicap triumph. Only Chris Waller with 17 majors has won more big races during 2018-19.
The last time a father and son both trained Group 1 winners on the same day was in 2013 when the late Bart Cummings prepared Norzita to win the Vinery Stud Stakes and Anthony was represented by Fiveandahalfstar in The BMW (now Tancred) Stakes.
James Cummings also trains the highly promising Deprive, an impressive winner of the Listed June Stakes at Royal Randwick.
The Godolphin trainer has a squad of outstanding sprinters going into the new season including Osborne Bulls, Kiamichi, Microphone, Trekking and even Deprive who could all be possible contenders for The Everest in the spring.
SYDNEY’S SPRING CAUSING STIR
Sydney’s revamped spring carnival has created a stir among Melbourne race clubs.
The main criticism is that having big-money races like the $14 million The Everest and $7.5 million Golden Eagle will split the talent pool of jockeys, trainers and horses between Sydney and Melbourne during spring.
But this argument can’t be sustained as there are major race clashes between Sydney and Melbourne during spring and autumn every year. In particular, it is accepted the weight-for-age programs clash, as do the two and three-year-old classics.
The emphasis in Sydney during spring is with the sprinter-milers but the top sprinters can compete in The Everest and the Winners (Redzel) Stakes but still get to Melbourne for the VRC Sprint Classic on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The Golden Eagle and it’s lead-up race, the Silver Eagle, does have the potential to keep the top four-year-old “milers” in Sydney for the spring and this may have some impact on races like the Cox Plate and Kennedy Mile.
But Racing NSW has identified the months of October and November to exploit commercial opportunities and potentially increase revenues to the racing industry.
Racing industry participants are now spoiled for choice and punters will also benefit with more top quality racing in Sydney through the Melbourne spring carnival.
Since The Everest was introduced in 2017, it has stimulated huge increases in betting and attendance figures at Randwick while also providing an indirect boost to betting turnover at Caulfield.
RON DUFFICY’S RANDWICK SNAPSHOT
RUN OF THE DAY
Deprive made it back to back wins with another impressive display in the June Stakes. It looked a solid field on paper and he could well be better than winter class.
FORGET THEY RAN
I’m not convinced Take It Intern is a wet tracker so his second to the in form Star Of The Seas was excellent. Look for him to progress from here on in and he can be very well placed over the next few months.
THE BLACK BOOK
The lightly raced kiwi Simply Optimistic was terrific winning first-up off a long spell in the wet on Saturday. I don’t think there was any fluke in the performance and you would expect only upside to come.
RIDE OF THE DAY
Rachel King may be getting the support of the powerful Godolphin empire but she continues to ride with poise and confidence getting the job done.I’d rather be with her that against her at the moment.
NSW RACING – THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday: Randwick Kensington, Ballina
Tuesday: Corowa, Quirindi
Wednesday: Warwick Farm
Thursday: Gosford, Lismore
Friday: Dubbo, Goulburn
Saturday: Rosehill Gardens, Kembla Grange, Narrandera, Walgett
Sunday: Muswellbrook, Port Macquarie
Originally published as Top jockeys set for Hall of Fame nod; Corey Brown undergoes surgery on spine
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