11.20am Maguire faces operation to save racing career
Tony Paley: Leading jockey Jason Maguire faces an operation on Monday which will determine if he can continue his racing career.
Maguire finished second to the now-retired Tony McCoy in the 2012-13 jump jockeys’ championship and Donald McCain’s stable jockey had hoped he could launch a realistic bid for the title.
But after having recovered from life-threatening injuries he sustained from a fall on the eve of the 2014 Cheltenham Festival, he suffered the misfortune of another serious back injury at Musselburgh in February.
“It’s not an easy time,” the Grand National-winning jockey told The Times on Monday. “If it doesn’t work, I’m not sure what more I can do to get back. “It’s a separate problem from the first one, lower down the vertebrae. I knew I was in trouble after a fall at Musselburgh.
“I’m staying positive but I don’t know how I can come back if they can’t get this right. With AP gone, I thought I had a great chance to be champion but it’s not to be - at least for now.”
Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Sandown on Saturday was an extraordinary place to be. I’m prepared to believe that someone will one day ride more jumps winners than Tony McCoy, however hard a task that will be. But I find it harder to imagine that another jockey will get such a sendoff in my lifetime.
In order to get 18,300 people at Sandown that day, we didn’t just need a 20-year career with 200 winners each year. We also needed a two-month warning of the impending retirement, allowing for an extended build-up.
Retiring jump jockeys generally make their announcement on the day, often as they dismount from a final winner. Doing it the McCoy way is unlikely to catch on, just because it is such a brave way to do it, not to say foolhardy.
Back on 7 February, when McCoy announced that he’d ride at Cheltenham and Aintree and then retire, I can’t have been the only one thinking: “Well jeez, I hope you get the chance to do it like that.” There were a lot of novice chasers to be ridden between 7 February and the middle of March. Even a whip ban at the wrong time might have prevented him taking part in a final Festival.
It shouldn’t surprise that McCoy was able to make events bend to his will, so that everything panned out as he’d forecasted. But, as I say, that kind of farewell tour is not for everyone.
I was standing near Ruby Walsh in the Sandown paddock as McCoy did a lap of honour, showing his championship trophy to the crowds. One of my colleagues suggested to Walsh that there would be a similar event when he retired. Walsh looked like a startled horse at that idea. I think he’d be much more of a ‘last winner and stop’ kind of guy.
Today’s nap runs in the very last race of the day, Chloe’s Image (9.20) carrying a penalty for Saturday’s success, also at Wolverhampton. She was able to reel in a horse who looked like he’d pinched that last contest and they finished miles clear. An extra two furlongs looks like good news for her.
At Kempton, I shall take Mon Cigar (3.20) to continue the improvement he showed at the end of last year, when he was twice beaten a head over seven furlongs at Lingfield. This mile ought to help this strong finisher.
Tipping competition - a new week
Congratulations to Stephen Peter Phillips, who won last week’s competition on a final score of +21.75, having rounded off a good week with Waady (9-4) on Friday. He held off RickyVillasBeard (+17.75).
This week’s prize is a copy of The Druids Lodge Confederacy, by Paul Mathieu, which recounts the amazing century-old story of five gentlemen gamblers who tried to make the game pay through the use of a remote stable on Salisbury Plain where the staff were locked in to ensure secrecy. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
To kick things off, we’d like your selections, please, for these races: 7.00 Windsor, 7.10 Naas, 7.30 Windsor.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
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