Gordon lands plum ride

Top jumps jockey Shaun Phelan’s suspension at Ellerslie on Saturday has presented one of his best mates with a huge opportunity.

A three-day careless riding suspension aboard Ellerslie feature hurdle winner Monarch Chimes will rule Phelan out of the rich Great Northern Hurdles and Steeplechase day.

The Great Northern Hurdles ride on the David and Emma-Lee Browne-trained Monarch Chimes has been gifted to Englishman Will Gordon. Gordon came to New Zealand last winter on Phelan’s suggestion and his good friend’s misfortune could bring him his biggest thrill since arriving. Gordon works hard and he has been rewarded with rides for a number of respected jumps trainers which have produced 14 wins including the Waikato Hurdles on Thenamesbond who he rode in last year’s Northern.

The trainers of unbeaten jumper Monarch Chimes are well aware of Gordon’s skill in the saddle.

‘‘Him and Shaun have done a lot of work for us,’’ David Browne said. "We’ve decided to go with Will – we’d rather stick with one of those boys. Shaun is happy we’ve gone with Will and he plans to go through things with him before the race.

‘‘They are good friends and have spent a lot of time riding and educating our jumpers.’’

Phelan’s careless riding charge was due to Monarch Chimes taking the line of Top Choice after the field had cleared the last fence in the back straight on the first round of the Harrison Lane Hurdle.

The standard suspension period for a jumps jockey found guilty of careless riding is three days. Due to the severity of the interference, the judiciary decided on a starting point of four days, reduced to three given Phelan misses Great Northern day.

‘‘It’s a real shame,’’ Browne said. ‘‘It’s the third year he’s missed the Northern meeting for one reason or another – I really feel for him.’’

Injury ruled him out in 2015 and 2016.