The Alec Laird stable have still not declared a jockey for the Ideal World filly Smart Call, who will carry the 15 saddle-cloth in Saturday’s Gr1 J&B Met.
Smart Call – no jockey
In a move that has been labelled unsporting, and even unfair to punters, in certain quarters, with under 24 hours to gate time, there is still no confirmation as to who will ride the Paddock Stakes winner in one of South Africa’s premier races.
The filly’s regular rider Weichong Marwing was originally engaged but is injured and unable to partner the smart 4yo.
Unconfirmed sources suggest that the connections attempted to call in various overseas riders, including Frankie Dettori, Christophe Soumillion and Hong Kong-based Douglas Whyte, without success.
There are a combination of 15 jockeys and apprentices that are riding at the meeting, that could ride the filly – and Alec Laird could do worse than take a leaf out of the Glen Puller stable book.
Weichong Marwing was carded to ride last Saturday’s CTS Million Dollar winner Illuminator, and when he cried off injured the Puller connections made an extraordinary (in hindsight, it was a clever one too!) decision to stay loyal to young apprentice Heavelon van der Hoven – who rode a cracker to bring home the bacon.
Including Marwing, Smart Call has only ever had four jockeys in her career – S’manga Khumalo is riding Gold Onyx, while Sean Cormack and Johnny Geroudis are indisposed.
