Evergreen jockey Jim Cassidy has picked up the ride on Eurozone in the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 29.
Eurozone, black and white checked cap, will be ridden by Jim Cassidy in George Ryder Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
Cassidy will replace the suspended Glen Boss who rode the Bart and James Cummings trained Eurozone at his last two starts including last Saturday’s third to Dissident in the Group 1 $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick.
Boss was also aboard the Northern Meteor three year old when fourth to Shamus Award in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1.
Ironically Cassidy rode an inspired race on the Peter Moody trained Dissident to scores a nose win over Kiwi colt El Roca in the Royal Randwick Guineas and was quickly snapped up by the Cummings camp.
James Cummings has reported that Eurozone has pulled up well after his Group 1 placing and confirmed via twitter that Cassidy would be the new jockey at Rosehill.
“EUROZONE gave everything in the GUINEAS. Now heads to RYDER with J CASSIDY,” Cummings tweeted.
Boss was suspended for six meetings for causing interference to Red Tracer shortly after the start of the Group 1 $500,000 Guinness Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday when he allowed his mount Streama to shift in.
Boss will miss the all-important Rosehill Guineas – George Ryder Stakes meeting on March 29 but will be back to ride on April5, Golden Slipper Day.
Racing New South Wales stewards agreed to alter the time frame of the suspension and after initially instructing Boss to begin his suspension on March 23, he will now be allowed to ride that day at the Illawarra Turf Club’s Kembla Grange meeting and then commence to serve his time on the sideline after that and will be able to ride again on April 4.
Cassidy continues to show the younger jockeys he is still riding at his top after recording his one hundred and first Group 1 wins when he was able to lift Dissident in the final one hundred metres of the Royal Randwick Guineas after being clearly headed by El Roca who looked the winner when Hugh Bowman let him slide to the lead at the 250m.
