Injury ends Hanagan's year (From Gazette & Herald)

Injury ends Hanagan's year

Top Ryedale jockey Paul Hanagan, who was forced to miss a crucial month of the Flat season, including York's Ebor Festival, after breaking his collar bone in a fall at Pontefract in late summer, will not ride for the remainder of the year after suffering a repeat injury at Newmarket last week.

The Malton-based rider, number-one jockey to Richard Fahey, was dealt his latest knockout blow in a paddock incident before a two-year-old race. Riding Maximix for Lambourn trainer Barry Hills, Hanagan was thrown from the fractious juvenile, who was making his racecourse debut, in the parade ring and landed heavily on his shoulder on the concrete walkway.

"I knew I'd done my collar bone again straight away - I heard it go," said a dejected Hanagan. "I can't believe it's happened again."

With the Flat turf season due to end in the first week of November, Hanagan sees no point in trying to rush his recovery in order to get back and ride on the three all-weather tracks up to Christmas.

"I'm going to give it all the time it needs now to repair fully. It was still a bit sore, when I was riding, from the previous fracture, so this one is going to take a bit longer anyway. The plan is to start riding again in the New Year."

Hanagan had enjoyed a purple patch of success since his return to action from his original injury, but he had experienced a scare, back at Pontefract, a week before his latest spill, when he had a fall in a race when another runner hit the deck.

"I was lucky to get away with that one, but on that occasion I fell more on my back. This time, the impact was largely on my collar bone, so it's no surprise that it broke again. I'm just consoling myself with the fact that it could have been worse."

The latest setback has foiled Hanagan's hopes of riding a century of winners for the second successive year. Last season, despite missing a chunk of the summer because of suspensions, he ended up with 101 winners.

This term, he will have to settle for a final score of 72, but they include no less than 39 winners for Fahey, including a Listed-race success on King's Point in Ireland last month, and one winner - a very special one - for Her Majesty the Queen, which was achieved on his first mount in the Royal colours at Beverley on the Roger Charlton-trained Virtue.

"It's unfortunate what's happened this season, but I'm still delighted with the way things have gone. I've had plenty of winners and Richard's horses have been excellent throughout," he said.

Hanagan still has plenty to look forward to this year, including an assured big winner - his wedding to Anna Sutton in Kirby Misperton Church next month.

In the year that saw it play host to Royal Ascot, York winds up its memorable 2005 campaign with a two-day meeting this weekend

Friday's action is highlighted by the £18,000 TSG Handicap, sponsored by racehorse owner Graham Wylie's North East company, while on Saturday, the Newton Investment Rockingham Stakes for two-year-olds and the £30,000 Coral Sprint Trophy figure among the fare, along with a memorial race for TV star Richard Whiteley, who died earlier this year.

What a weekend for Norton neighbours Kevin Ryan and Bryan Smart, who have proceeded to put Hambleton, at the top of Sutton Bank, back on the training map.

Ryan, who has enjoyed a brilliant year, was in the spotlight at Newmarket on Friday when Amadeus Wolf, whom he had saddled to win the Gimcrack Stakes at York in August, followed up the Group One Middle Park Stakes to confirm himself as one of the most talented juvenile colts in Europe.

Not to be outdone, Smart, who earlier this season had sent out Titus Alone to win the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot-at-York, carried off the Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy with Misu Bond, whose success over the favourite, Violette, earned the colt a whopping first prize of £111,000.

Owned by Pocklington-based Reg Bond, a huge supporter of Smart's stable, Misu Bond is now likely to be aimed at next season's 2,000 Guineas, which would mean a clash with Amadeus Wolf, who is also set to be targeted at the first of the colt's Classics in 2006

Who needs Attraction? Not, it seems, Kevin Darley, who, without his multiple group-race winning partner in last Saturday's Sun Chariot Stakes, which they had won 12 months earlier, clinched the race anyway on a 'spare' ride.

Darley, who had been looking forward to riding Attraction in this prestigious fillies' event before the Mark Johnston-trained four-year-old was officially retired earlier in the week after falling victim to a minor injury, picked up the mount on Peeress for Sir Michael Stoute.

It was a case of opportunity knocking for Darley, who duly delivered the 7-1 to strike the front two furlongs out to beat Summitville and pick up a winners' purse of £116,000.

It turned out to be a memorable weekend for Darley. Twenty-four hours after steering Peeress to victory, the Sheriff Hutton jockey travelled to France and completed a Group One double in the Prix de L'Opera at Longchamp, which he landed on 33-1 shot Kinnaird, trained by Patrick Haslam at Middleham. The value of this race was just over £100,000. Not a bad weekend by any standards.

An even better one, however, was enjoyed by Kieren Fallon. The former Norton-based rider pulled-off a Group One treble at Longchamp, highlighted by Hurricane Run's success in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which, wait for it, carried a first prize of £729,447!

It's not every talented Flat horse who makes a success of hurdling, but there is every chance that Crow Wood is poised to do just that after making a stylish debut over timber at Uttoxeter last Sunday.

The John Quinn-trained gelding was partnered by Russ Garritty for this all-important first public assignment over hurdles. And he duly made mincemeat of his rivals, pulling his way to the front early on, building up a sizeable lead and, after jumping economically and fluently most of the way, never looking likely to be caught.

A winner at Epsom's Derby meeting earlier this year, Crow Wood also showed his prowess on the Flat by finishing second at Royal Ascot-at-York and also in the John Smith's Cup on Knavesmire.

Whether he can scale similar heady heights as a hurdler remains to be seen. But the early signs are more than encouraging.

The Gazette & Herald's Ten To Follow on the Flat this season have, I am sorry to say, not exactly covered themselves with glory. But Rio Riva came to the rescue at Pontefract on Monday when winning his second race of the campaign at 25-1.

The Julie Camacho-trained gelding was partnerned by Tom Eaves, who has now ridden four winners from just eight rides for the Norton handler this season. A trip at Ayr at the end of the month is now on the cards for Rio Riva, who could well oblige again before his winter holidays.

Mike Sowersby is holding his annual open day this Sunday (October 9), offering anyone who cares to have a free look behind the scenes at a racing stable the opportunity of doing just that and meeting all of his horses.

The inmates on display will include Karathaena, a winner at Market Rasen last Saturday, while there will lots of side attractions, include a grand raffle, one of the prizes for which will be a share in a horse for six months.

Sowersby is based at Southwold Farm, Goodmanham, which is on the Market Weighton-South Dalton road, and his yard will be open from 11am until 2pm.

Although there is no admission charge, all proceeds from the day, which includes fundraisers, will go to the High Dependency Unit at Hull Royal Infirmary, where Sowersby was treated 12 months ago for a brain haemorrhage.

A race run in memory of Jimmy FitzGerald, who died last autumn, and his late wife Jane, will take place at the 15th consecutive annual Spinal Research charity raceday at Wetherby on Wednesday, October 12.

Tim FitzGerald, Jimmy's son and training successor at Norton Grange, is sponsoring the race, which is sure to be well supported, as well as being an important feature of the racing action.

Rachel Wright, whose tireless efforts in organising this day every year has resulted in some £220,000 being raised so far for Spinal Research, is busily aiming to add to that amount next week when a pre-race lunch, for 260 guests, will be held, along with the grand auction.

Among the items coming under the hammer are, courtesy of Skybet Bookmakers, a day out for two people, with full hospitality, at Skybet Chase day at Doncaster at the end of January, which comes complete with two £100 free bets.

Lord Masham has again donated a days' shooting on his estate, while a signed print of Pebbles, and an autographed pair of riding boots from champion jockey Tony McCoy, are also up for auction.

Skybet are among the race sponsors, and just as they did last year, a large number of jump jockeys, doubtless conscious of the fact that the precarious nature of their profession brings them into contact with spinal injuries, are also sponsoring a race.

Among those supporting the event are Russ Garritty, Graham Lee, Padge Whelan, Alan Dempsey, Tony Dobbin and Andrew Thornton.

Anyone requiring further information about the day, the auction, or the lunch, should contact Rachel Wright on (01759) 371645 daytime or (01759) 371584 evenings.

Updated: 15:19 Wednesday, October 05, 2005