Rider for Bonecrusher still undecided

Press, 17 March 1987, Page 44

Rider for Bonecrusher still undecided

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney The rider for champion galloper Bonecrusher, in his opening assault on the Sydney autumn carnival, is likely to be named later this week, trainer Frank Ritchie said yesterday. Ritchie said a decision on a replacement for regular jockey Gary’ Stewart would probably be made tomorrow or Thursday.

He said he wanted first to have a face-to-face discussion with Bonecrusher’s owner, Mr Peter Mitchell, who is due in Australia tomorrow.

“There is no particular hurry to find a rider and we want to wait until Peter and I have had a chat about it,” he told

NZPA from Melbourne.

Stewart underwent an appendix operation in Melbourne on Friday, which means he will miss Bonecrusher’s next Australian assignment, the sAustl7s,ooo (SNZ210.000) Rawson Stakes (2000 m at Rosehill on March 28.

With former New Zealand jockeys Brent Thomson and Jim Cassidy unavailable, the choice of a replacement for Stewart is exercising the tipping abilities of racing scribes almost as much as who will actually win the rematch between Bonecrusher and Our Waverley Star. According to Sydney reports, several jockeys, including Shane Dye, Mick Dittman, Greg Hall and David Walsh are

in line for the job, with Dittman, at present second in the Sydney premiership, considered to be the top choice. Ritchie said having a new rider would •be a disadvantage to Bonecrusher’s chances in the Rawson Stakes, but he was not unduly worried about the situation.

"I think it will be a disadvantage because Gary knows him so well,” he said.

"But a top rider is a top rider and he will know how to get the best out of Bonecrusher, so that shouldn’t be a problem.” Ritchie said Bonecrusher had done well since his win in the sAust2so,ooo

($NZ300,000) Australian Cup (2000 m at Flemington last week.

“He has really thrived,’’ he said. “In fact, he has put on two kilograms in the last two days, which is not like him.”

The four-year-old gelding is booked to go to Sydney the day before the Rawson Stakes.

Meanwhile, Stewart was discharged from hospital yesterday and Ritchie said the jockey was feeling fine. He said he expected Stewart to be fit enough to ride Bonecrusher in the sAustsoo,ooo ($NZ600,000) H. E. Tancred Stakes (2400 m at Rosehill on April 11.