Kieran Shoemark Booked for Dancing Gemini in Coral-Eclipse
In a significant move for the upcoming Coral-Eclipse this Saturday, trainer Roger Teal has enlisted the services of jockey Kieran Shoemark to ride Dancing Gemini. The decision comes amidst doubts surrounding the availability of Dylan Browne McMonagle, who had previously been aboard the three-year-old in both the French 2000 Guineas and Betfred Derby.
Teal, in an interview on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, explained the reasoning behind the jockey change. “Obviously Joseph O’Brien has got Al Riffa entered and Dylan is Joseph’s jockey, so we thought a while back we’d be searching for a new jockey for this race.” With Al Riffa’s confirmation on Monday, the trainer had to act quickly to secure a replacement rider.
The trainer revealed that they had initially tried to book Oisin Murphy, who had ridden Dancing Gemini in a recent workout, but unfortunately, he was committed to ride at Haydock on the same day. “Kieran steps in for the ride. He’s ridden him a couple of times as a two-year-old in work before he ran and rode a winner on his mother, so balancing everything up, his name came out on top.”
Teal expressed confidence in Shoemark’s abilities, stating, “He’s a very, very capable jockey, you’ve just got to look through his CV, which I studied on Monday very hard. He’s very capable.” The trainer acknowledged that Shoemark may have faced challenges this year with riders from the Gosden stable, but noted that those horses may have reached the peak of their careers, and he believes Shoemark will have the opportunity to ride many Group One winners as Gosden finds new talent.
Even if Al Riffa is not declared, Teal indicated that Shoemark is likely to retain the ride on Dancing Gemini. “I think so. We’ve got to this stage now, and it would be unfair to Kieran to take him off. It’s always hard, you want the best available on the day to ride your horse, and we’re not a big stable, so we aren’t able to retain a jockey, we have to do what’s right for our horses.”
The Coral-Eclipse, a prestigious Group One race, promises an exciting showdown, and the decision to book Kieran Shoemark for Dancing Gemini could be a strategic move that pays off for trainer Roger Teal and his connections.
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