Racing week: Top jockeys out of action

It could now be up to a month before Frankie Dettori returns to the saddle. In his rush to recover from a broken left collarbone, the champion jockey has put too much stress on the injury and the ball within his shoulder joint has moved.

The accident happened at Sandown on 2 July when Dettori suffered a crashing fall from Celtic Mill and required surgery. A plate and screw was inserted into his shoulder in order to join his badly fractured collarbone.

Meanwhile, a nightmare fall at Ayr on Saturday has destroyed Robert Winston’s chances of winning the jockey’s championship. Winston had been odds-on favourite to win the title race, which he was leading, but fell on the home bend and suffered a nasty kick to the jaw.

The jockey underwent complicated surgery on Sunday to insert five plates into his jaw. Although he is still struggling to speak, he is reported to be making a good recovery.

A good week for

Following a critical work out on Wednesday, Ouija Board (pictured) has shown she is getting back to her best. The 2004 dual Oaks and Breeders’ Cup heroine made a disappointing return to the track in June, finishing seventh at Royal Ascot in York.

Afterwards a small stress fracture was found in her near-fore cannon bone and there were fears that she might be forced to retire. But her recent work has shown that she is making a full recovery, much to the delight of her jockey, leading rider Jamie Spencer and trainer Ed Dunlop.

A bad week for

Richard Quinn was prevented from riding at Salisbury yesterday after a ‘borderline’ breath test failure.

Quinn took a total of five tests, four of which gave a reading above the threshold of 17 micrograms, which means the offence features at the lower end of the Jockey Club’s scale. According to experts a reading of below 17 micrograms is not sufficient to have any effect upon a rider’s performance.

Quinn confessed to having a couple of glasses of wine the previous evening but was shocked to hear the reading was positive. The borderline result was still below the drink driving limit.

Watch this space

Godolphin’s number two rider, Kerrin McEnvoy, will take the place of Frankie Dettori on Dubawi in one of the season’s most important races on Sunday. Dubawi, the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner will take on Divine Proportions and iron-tough Valixir in the Prix Jaques le Marois at Deauville. In his final work out on Thursday an impressive performance indicated he is in good form. The going at Deuville is described as good following a week of continuous sunshine. Showers are forecast although not until Sunday.

And finally…

Any hopes that dual Cheltenham winner Monsignor will return to the race course have been dashed.

Monsignor was the first horse to beat Best Mate under Rules. A damaged tendon in 2001 kept him off games in 2002. On several occasions the champion chaser was within a week or two of making a comeback but each time injuries prevented it.

Connections have conceded that now the horse is 11, he will not return to racing, although he remains on active service as a lead horse at Mark Pitman’s stables.

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