Thursday’s racing roundup includes news of an injury to one of Britain’s brightest jockeys and more preparations for the Breeders’ Cup.
Jockey Callum Shepherd is set to face six to eight weeks on the sidelines.
Shepherd sustained two fractured vertebrae and a fractured collarbone in a fall at Kempton on Wednesday evening. The 27-year-old has experienced a terrific season winning big races such as the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot in July and, latterly, the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month. Shepherd will now miss the latter stages of the flat season and now aims for campaigns in Bahrain and Dubai.
Breeders' Cup hopefuls' complete preparation for November at Southwell.
Big Evs looked well in his racecourse gallop on Wednesday, as he bids to win at back-to-back Breeders' Cup in the Grade 1 Turf Sprint at Del Mar. Younger stablemate Big Mojo was also seen in a separate gallop, who looks to make it back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf for trainer Michael Appleby. One of his rivals for the same race, Shareholder, also took place in a gallop on Wednesday. This comes just three weeks after City Of Troy completed a racecourse gallop at the Lincolnshire track in front of hundreds of spectators.
Marie's Rock defeated in Bath's Listed feature on Wednesday.
The former Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle winner at Cheltenham was beaten by a head, in the Listed Beckford Stakes at the Somerset track, with the David Menuisier-trained Entrancement battling on bravely to prevail. Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old raced in the Group 3 Bronte Cup Stakes at York back in May, with today her second-ever start on the flat. She is now expected to resume a hurdles campaign with the aim of regaining her Grade 1 Mares' Hurdle title at the Cheltenham Festival next March.
Trueshan to miss Long Distance Cup
Trueshan will not race in the Group 2 British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day. The eight-year-old has only won once this season and was seen only last week in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran at Longchamp, finishing two lengths behind winner Kyprios. The Planteur gelding won the Group 2 Long Distance Cup three times in succession between 2020 and 2022 but could only muster fourth in last year's contest behind Trawlerman and Kyprios.
