EGAN GETS OFF TO A FLYER
Mr Professor hands out a lesson with his Lincoln triumph
DAVID EGAN’S new role as retained rider for Amo Racing got off to the best possible start when Mr Professor came home clear in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster, with the jockey hoping it signals the beginning of a fruitful partnership.
Many were surprised when Egan left the relatively secure role of riding the majority of Roger Varian’s string to take up the number one position with Kia Joorabchian’s increasingly prominent operation.
Several leading riders have already gained and lost what is now a high-profile job, but the prospect of riding the likes of King Of Steel, Ornellaia, Bucanero
Fuerte and a whole host of expensive juveniles was a tempting one.
Having spent the winter riding abroad, Egan was at the Curragh on Monday to win the first juvenile race of 2024 on Arizona Blaze, and by adding the first major handicap of the season on Dominic Ffrench Davis’ five-year-old, it could not have been a better start.
“It’s a fantastic start to the year. I’m not going to lie, it was a surprise to me how easy he took me into the race at the two-pole,” he said of his 33-1 winner.
“It was an outstanding performance really, I know he was getting plenty of weight from a lot of the runners, but it’s a fantastic performance.
“Doncaster has been a lucky place for me, I obviously won my first Classic here (St Leger on Eldar Eldarov), but the Lincoln is the race every winter that you build towards. I’ve obviously been away, but the Lincoln is that special race that kick-starts the year, so it’s great to win.”
The sole Irish raider for the race was Fozzy Stack’s Chazzesmee, sent off the 5/2 favourite following his easy success in the Irish version last weekend.
“What was going through my head was the Irish Lincolnshire last week. I rode Raadobarg in that and I gave Joey Sheridan a lead all the way to the furlong pole on Chazzesmee and he quickened up by me,” said Egan, who won the Saudi Cup and Juddmonte International with Mishriff when he was retained by Prince Faisal.
“I got into the stalls today and who was next to me! I looked at Joey and he just said, ‘Same again?’
“I knew he was behind me the whole way, but when my lad quickened up, he quickened up really well – and as he has stamina, he was able to sustain that all the way to the line.”
As for taking the Amo job, Egan could well have joined at just the right time.