Racing
Irish jockey Wayne Lordan gets the ride on Wodeton in the Newmarket Handicap
Coolmore Australia supremo Tom Magnier has revealed English Derby-winning jockey Wayne Lordan will make the trip down under to ride crack colt Wodeton in the Group 1 $2 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Magnier was forced to seek a replacement rider with Hong Kong-based Karis Teetan currently stranded in Dubai due to the Middle East conflict.
To further complicate the situation, Wodeton has only 50kg in the Newmarket and Magnier wanted a lightweight jockey who could make the colt's weight.
"With Karis unavailable, we thought about it and I reached out to (trainer) Aidan O'Brien to get Wayne,'' Magnier said.
"I told Aidan to find Wayne and get him on a flight to Melbourne as soon as possible.
"Because of what is happening in the Middle East, Wayne is going to have to go to America first and then get a flight to Melbourne.''
"Wayne won the (Epsom) Derby on Lambourn last year for us,'' Magnier said. "He also won races at the Breeders Cup meeting (2019 on Iridessa in the Breeders Cup Fillies and Mares).
"He's ridden at Flemington and actually won two races down the straight.
"Wayne's an outstanding jockey with a lot of international experience, and he is number two with Aidan behind Ryan (Moore).''
Lordan has ridden in ridden in four Melbourne Cups including his second placing on Goodie Two Shoes behind Half Yours last year.
He also rode Il Paradiso to finish a close third in Vow And Declare's Cup in 2019.
Lordan's two Flemington wins have been down the straight course – on Vinicunca in the 2018 Maribyrnong Plate and Reparations in a Listed race in 2014.
But the Chris Waller-trained Wodeton gets 7kg off Tentyris which could be decisive in the feature Flemington sprint.
Hoofnote: Moore and Teetan remain stranded in Dubai but there is a hope and expectation they will be able to get flights out of the region in coming days.
