Ill Payne to miss ride on Kaspersky
Michelle Payne has ruled herself out of the ride on Kaspersky at Newbury after failing to recover from the illness which kept her from riding in the Shergar Cup.
Martin Harley will now partner Kaspersky in Saturday’s Hungerford Stakes, with the horse slated to come to Australia for the spring carnival.
Payne teamed up with fellow Australian, trainer Jane Chapple-hyam, at Royal Ascot in June when Kaspersky ran a fine race to finish fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Harley got back on board when the six-year-old ran second in last month’s Summer Mile and Payne was to ride this weekend.
‘‘Michelle won’t be riding,’’ Chapplehyam said. ‘‘Martin Harley will ride the horse again and we’re very happy with him.
‘‘We’re coming back to seven furlongs. It was either that or go up to a mile and a quarter and after he ran so well in the Summer Mile I felt seven furlongs was the better option for him.’’
Payne was the subject of controversy last week when she left a pre-shergar Cup media function citing illness.
In further jockey news, Melbourne jockey Tom Sadler is heading to Sydney to join the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable.
The 23-year-old says he is looking forward to both the change and, more importantly, the opportunity.’’
Sadler has had his issues with officialdom. Two years ago he served a four month suspension following a positive test to an illicit drug and is preparing to return from a one month improper riding suspension incurred at Flemington in July.
He says he has learned from the experiences and is looking forward to a fresh start in a different environment.
Jockey Chad Lever has been released from hospital in Newcastle almost a week after suffering head, hand and facial injuries in a fall at Scone.
- AAP