Top Sydney jockey Tim Clark has been called on to replace the injured Luke Currie on the favourite Hanseatic in the Group 1 $1.5m Ned Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield today.
Jockey Tim Clark, above on the Anthony Freedman trained Supreme Idea, will ride Hanseactic in the 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
The unlucky Currie was booked to continue his association with the undefeated Hanseatic but will instead have to watch Clark take the reins on the $2.70 favourite.
Currie ride Yulong June into third place in the last race on the eight event Moonee Valley program last night but shortly after the winning post his mount struck heels of another runner and the jock was dislodged and hit the turf hard.
Early reports are that Currie suffered a C7 fracture and broken ribs and will be out of action for some time.
Currie had been aboard the Anthony Freedman trained Hanseactic for all his three starts that resulted with wins in the Listed $140,000 Thoroughbred Club Merson Cooper (1000m) at Sandown at the end of the 2019 Melbourne Spring Carnival, the Listed $160,000 Neds Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (1000m) at Caulfield on January 25 and in the Group 3 $200,000 Neds Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8.
Stable foreman Sam Freedman said that Hanseatic will be ridden quietly form the inside gate and hope that luck comes his way in the run home.
“We won’t be hustling him out of the gates to be anywhere he doesn’t want to be,” Sam Freedman said on RSN.
“(Recent races) probably haven’t been run to suit him, he has been getting quite keen in those races he will probably appreciate a rolling tempo.
“There will be horses there that won’t run a strong 1200(m) and you just don’t want them to be falling into your lap.
“The gaps will appear, and we feel like if he can just get some clear running for the last 200-300m he can hopefully run down whatever is in front of him.”
On the second line of Blue Diamond Stakes betting at $6 at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Fillies’ Blue Diamond Stakes Prelude winner Letzbeglam just ahead of the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Rulership at $7.
