Singapore-based Australian jockey Brett Prebble will make an 11th hour trip to Melbourne tonight to replace the injured Glen Boss aboard Anthony Cummings’ spruik colt Smart Missile in Saturday’s 2011 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.
Anthony Cummings has booked Brett Prebble as the replacement rider for the injured Glen Boss aboard Smart Missile in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
Boss fractured his shoulder and was ruled unfit to ride this Saturday, with his return this spring hanging in the balance, after falling from Crystal Lily when the champion mare died suddenly at a routine track gallop at Flemington this morning.
The triple Melbourne Cup winning hoop had been booked for seven rides on the bumper eight-race Caulfield race programme tomorrow, including the mount on betting favourite Smart Missile in the $350,000 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
Smart Missile, who remains the $3.60 Luxbet top elect to win their maiden Group 1 title tomorrow, is allocated the 53kg minimum for the handicap conditioned Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
After embarking on a replacement jockey search this morning, Cummings has engaged Prebble to ride the son of Fastnet Rock, Prebble with work to do from the extreme outside gate 17.
“He’s obviously looking forward to riding such a quality horse,” Glenn Darcy, Prebble’s manager, commented.
Three-year-old Smart Missile has been ridden by Glen Boss and Corey Brown only for their three career starts, while Brenton Avdulla and Grant Buckly have previously partnered with them in official trials.
Saturday will be Prebble’s first time aboard the 2011 Caulfield Guineas futures favourite.
With Smart Missile running against older horses and in Melbourne under race conditions for the first time on Saturday, there are plenty of challengers keen on an upset in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes including last-start Moonee Valley Woorim ($4.80), former Golden Rose hero Toorak Toff ($13) and the Peter Snowden-trained Pinwheel ($9).
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