Pires stitches up another win
TASMANIA’S reigning premier jockey David Pires won the second race on the card at Spreyton on Saturday, but spent the rest of the afternoon in the emergency ward of the Latrobe District Hospital.
After he guided lightly raced two-year-old Windrider to victory, Pires was taken to hospital because of a deep cut to his right knee that he suffered when the gelding reared in the barriers as the gates opened at the start of the race.
Windrider lost at least four lengths at the start and almost dislodged the rider, but Pires stayed put and urged the Graeme McCulloch-trained youngster to give chase to the field.
Windrider was backed in to start the $2.70 favourite and he was still last turning for home, but under strong riding the gelded son of Cardinal Virtue powered home to score by almost a length.
“The horse sort of reared sideways and from what we can gather from the head-on video footage I have more than likely cracked my knee on the latch on the front of the gate,” Pires said.
“My silks weren’t punctured but as soon as we left the gates I looked down and could see blood coming through my pants.
“It was extremely painful when my knee was fully flexed. I couldn’t sit down properly because it hurt so much.
“But I thought I was on the best horse in the race so I let him roll forward and he just kept going.
“I thought I might have just scratched and bruised the knee but when I took my pants off in the jockeys’ room it was a lot worse than I thought because I could almost see the bone.
“They stitched the wound at the hospital and thankfully Xrays revealed no bone damage.
“I’ve got a leg brace on so that I don’t flex the knee which will help the wound to heal quickly.”
Pires will definitely miss next Sunday’s meeting in Launceston, but he is hoping to get the all-clear to ride Count Da Vinci at Flemington the following Saturday, July 8.
Count Da Vinci won this season’s Hobart Cup and was second to Big Duke in the Launceston Cup, but the gelding also is very proficient over shorter trips early in his prep- aration. The Scott Brunton-trained gelding will trial in Hobart next Tuesday in readiness for his Flemington assignment.
“If I do all the right things the wound should be fully healed in time for me to ride at Flemington,” Pires said.
Pires partnered Count Da Vinci’s stablemate Lord Da Vinci to victory at Flemington last week in an open sprint to register the rider’s first win at the headquarters of Victorian racing.
Pires is on target to win his third straight jockeys’ premiership. He has notched 75 wins for the season to be 27 clear of his nearest rival Siggy Carr with five meetings remaining.