Moore has soft spot for Doctor

Sep 12 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

RYAN MOORE has opted to ride Doctor Fremantle ahead of Conduit in tomorrow’s Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster because he should be better suited by the soft conditions.

The 2006 champion jockey, who is currently in line for another title, had a choice of runners trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who has three of the 14 entries for the final Classic of the campaign.

But after much deliberation he has decided to go for Doctor Fremantle, who finished fourth to New Approach in the Vodafone Derby at Epsom.

Moore said: “I rode them both this morning and they both felt great and I didn’t make up my mind until about 8.30am. It’s a nice position to be in to have the choice of two good horses and I suppose the ground made a difference to my choice.”

Stoute is looking for a first victory in the St Leger, while Moore has yet to win a British Classic.

The nearest he came was when partnering runner-up on Tartan Bearer in the Derby back in June.

With Moore aboard Doctor Fremantle, now generally a 7-1 chance with most bookmakers, Frankie Dettori will ride Conduit.

The Italian has won the St Leger four times and Conduit is an 8-1 chance with totesport, Paddy Power and Sportingbet to make that five.

Dettori said: “Ryan had the choice of which to ride but Conduit is a good ride to get and he is third favourite.

“I have not sat on him and I won’t do before the race as it is only two days away but I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a great race for me in the past, Conduit is a good horse and it looks an open Leger. Six of the field could win the race and I wouldn’t want to swap him for anything else.”

Warringah is Stoute’s other runner and only Aidan O’Brien has more entered with five.

The Ballydoyle handler’s main hope Frozen Fire, who is the 9-4 favourite with the majority of firms, will be partnered by stable jockey Johnny Murtagh.

Murtagh is seeking a first win in Britain’s oldest Classic and is riding at Doncaster in preference to partnering Septimus in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh tomorrow.

O’Brien is bidding to become the first trainer since 1935 to secure a clean sweep of the five Classics in his homeland and also has four entered in the Irish Field-sponsored event – although triple Ascot Gold Cup hero and last year’s winner Yeats is only among the 10-strong field as insurance should anything happen Septimus before tomorrow.

Seamus Heffernan will ride Septimus at the Curragh, while at Doncaster Jamie Spencer partners Alessandro Volta, Jimmy Fortune is on Bashkirov, with David McCabe on Hindu Kush and Colm O’Donoghue on Washington Irving.

Also among the 14 declared runners on Town Moor are Ralph Beckett’s Look Here, winner of the Juddmonte Oaks, and the Andrew Balding-trained Top Lock, who will be ridden by Merseyside jockey Martin Dwyer as he bids for a third Classic success in a race he rode High Accolade to finish second to O’Brien’s Brian Boru in 2003.

TODAY’S NAP: Golden Rosie (3.15pm Doncaster).