Sponsored by
Horse racing: Rising star Egan can Switch us on to a win
He’s only ever had six winners but apprentice jockey Darren Edward Egan will likely prove one of the real finds of 2012.
Tomorrow he teams up with Trip Switch and Egan’s 7lb allowance can get the six-year-old back to winning ways (4.05pm Wolverhampton).
Doncaster had been hoping to stage a jumps card on Town Moor tomorrow, with the hugely progressive Hunt Ball the most interesting entry, but the snow and ice scuppered that.
However, it is the booking of Egan – a jockey who was brought to my attention by former jockey and At The Races pundit Jason Weaver on Friday – for Trip Switch that really takes the eye tomorrow.
Apparently, the 7lb claimer had given a horse called Night Trade a gem of a ride at Wolverhampton on Thursday and in Weaver’s book this chap was the find of the year and may well even be champion apprentice jockey.
That may be over-egging the pudding, but Egan’s talents were certainly displayed when landing a double at Wolves on Monday and another winner looks highly likely tomorrow.
Trip Switch has been an admirably progressive and reliable performer of late as his form figures of 121121 indicated.
His winning run began off a mark of 50 and George Prodromou’s inmate is now rated 70 and the obvious conclusion is that his new mark is beyond him – hence why that run of firsts and seconds was ended last time out when the horse was only fifth.
However, firstly, Trip Switch was not given a particularly good ride that day and, crucially, he made his challenge on the inside of the track at Lingfield where not many horses come through and win. Secondly, as the very talented Egan takes off seven pounds with his claim tomorrow, it means Trip Switch is essentially back down to a mark of 63 – just a pound higher than on January 29 when he absolutely bolted in from Princess Lexi.
Also, the race in which Trip Switch was fifth last time wasn’t a bad one and certainly better than tomorrow’s in which his rivals are pretty much a motley crew.
Value
In short, the booking of Egan for this horse just looks inspired so let’s hope his talents are advertised once more.
Trip Switch rates the Wolverhampton nap by quite some distance with Gabrials Bounty looking the only other decent bet on the card (5.10pm).
Mick Channon’s runner was very well punted last time out at Kempton, when he won by a length and three quarters, but he looked value for a little bit more. He’s now gone up 8lbs in the ratings but that rise looks manageable in a very winnable handicap with Abi Scarlet heading the dangers.
She did well to chin John Gosden’s long odds-on Derivatives last time – the pair a mile clear of the third – but the Gosden runner is not the most straightforward and Abi Scarlet might struggle to give weight to Gabrial’s Bounty.
Our selection is also related to the pretty smart Stevie Thunder so there should be more to come.
Another likely winner at Wolves is Al Freej who arguably should have collected last time when jockey Dominic Fox looked to give the Roger Varian-trained runner too much to do.
Al Freej looks banker material in a very poor maiden, but the bookies will know it and she’ll be odds on.
With Donny having fallen by the wayside, the day’s other jumps cards come from Huntingdon and Taunton and it is the latter that looks the most likely to survive.
Still, even if we lose the other two cards as well, let’s hope new sensation Egan can Trip the bookies at Wolves.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.