Double action for champion jockey
12 April 2002
Kieren Fallon shakes off a sore head to ride at Pontefract and Haydock this weekend
Champion jockey Kieren Fallon, who missed riding at Southwell on Friday because of a sore head, plans a double stint at Pontefract and Haydock on Saturday.
The champion jockey took a slight knock on the head when his mount bolted and unshipped him on the way to the start at Brighton on Thursday.
“There is nothing seriously wrong and he will be back on Saturday,” reported his agent Dave Pollington.
Fallon partners the Dandy Nicholls-trained Mizhar (2.15) and John Dunlop’s InDisguise (2.50) at Pontefract before dashing across thePennines to Haydock for Ian Balding’s Vanderlin (5.15) in the last. It could be a profitable day for Fallon followers.
Over the jumps at Ascot, Minehead trainer Philip Hobbs, who is enjoying his best-ever season, has fancied runner in all three televised races – Fait Le Jojo (1.30), Zafarabad (2.0) and Brother Joe (2.30).
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Brother Joe was a bitter disappointment behind Ilnamar at Aintree last Saturday but, according to Hobbs, “has returned home ingreat form“.
He added: “We don’t know why he ran like he did. But he is in particularly good heart and so we thought we’d better go with him again while the fast ground is in his favour.”
Hobbs’s What’s Up Boys, narrowly beaten by Bindaree in the Martell Grand National, has come out the race well and could go for the Attheraces Gold Cup at Sandown in a fortnight.
Big money in Japan
On the other side of the world in Japan, three British horses are in action in the world’s richest steeplechase, the Nakayama Grand Jump.
Bankers Court, Cenkos and Exit Swinger will be competing against 13 horses from US, Australia, New Zealand, France and Japan for the first prize of around £420,000 on Saturday.
Taking place at 7.30am BST, the race is two-and-a-half miles long on grass on a figure of eight track over brush fences.
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