A tale of two jockeys on Town Moor as the 2024 Flat season kicks off at Doncaster
By Ben Linfoot
16:54 · SUN March 24, 2024
Day one of the 2024 Flat season and two jockeys with famous fathers stole the show on a blustery William Hill Lincoln day at Doncaster.
David Egan, son of Group 1-winning veteran John (also riding on the Doncaster card in the Spring Mile), kicked off his new retainer for Amo Racing in style by coaxing 33/1 chance Mr Professor to victory in the Lincoln itself.
And Cieren Fallon, son of six-time Champion Jockey Kieren, marked his return to the saddle with a skillful ride on Montassib in the William Hill Cammidge Trophy, coming from last to first on the William Haggas-trained sprinter on a day when stamina proved a key attribute.
With the ground officially soft, heavy in places and a strong headwind blowing down Town Moor, it was not an afternoon for horses with stamina question marks as the feature events showed.
A trio of Nick Bradley-owned horses took them along in the Cammidge and as six horses spread across the track in formation hitting the final furlong, Fallon was still stone last on Montassib but about to make his challenge.
After getting his mount as much cover as he could in a seven-runner field exposed to the South Yorkshire elements, he weaved his way through Glorious Angel and Orazio, caressing Montassib into an open gap and as soon as he saw it he took off, Fallon all hands and heels as he reeled in Karl Burke’s Marshman inside the final 50 yards.
Montassib’s proven stamina kicked in just in the nick of time – he’s a seven-furlong winner who was running in the Lincoln this time last year – but to receive such a confident ride from Fallon on just his second ride back from injury was exceptional.
On the sidelines for four months with ankle and knee ligament damage following a stalls accident at Newcastle in November, this was just the lift that Fallon needed at the start of a new campaign, one in which he’ll be riding freelance after ending his association with Qatar Racing.
On this evidence, the phone will be ringing hot in the coming weeks and months.
Fallon times it to perfection on Montassib
While Fallon is coming out of one job for a high-profile owner, 24-year-old David Egan is just beginning his own partnership with Amo Racing and, while he could only manage 13th place in the Brocklesby aboard hot favourite Mystical Elegance, he got the dream start with Lincoln success.
Again, stamina was key for Mr Professor, proven over 10 furlongs and a winner over nine furlongs in soft ground, but Egan gave him a lovely ride, getting him plenty of cover on the far side by racing in between Farhh To Shy, Thunder Ball and Hieronymus, who shielded him from the bulk of the breeze.
Trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis revealed he was worried about stall two afterwards, but Mr Professor just tagged onto the main group down the centre under Egan who held onto his mount as long as he could, Thunder Ball towing him into the race perfectly.
Inside the two pole and Mr Professor was tanking, at which point Egan asked him to go and win his race, two lengths clear at the furlong marker and kept up to his work to win by just less than that margin from the fast-finishing Lattam.
Ice cool stuff from Egan, music to the ears of Amo supremo Kia Joorabchian, the beaming smile from the young jockey afterwards something we could see plenty of times in 2024.
Asked by Matt Chapman in the post-race interview of how much he is looking forward to riding King Of Steel, Egan couldn’t hide his excitement, saying he’d watched the big horse being put through his paces at home the other day as he limbers up for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, his first big target of the season.
Fallon and Egan dominating the racing headlines again. But these two are far from being Nepo Jockeys, such is their talent and dedication.
And while we’re only on day one of the Flat, a big six months could be in store for the pair judging by the nous they showed in tough conditions at Doncaster on Saturday.
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