Our expert reckons Christophe Soumillon could have a major part to play in filling the void left by Ryan Moore over the next few months.
Ryan Moore has been riding for two months with a fractured femur and now faces an extended period out of action – probably until the end of the season, although you never quite know with jockeys. When it comes to recovery-rates, these people are not normal.
We wish Moore well, but what might this mean for Ballydoyle and their riding plans over the next few months?
No man has ridden more Aidan O’Brien-trained horses in Ireland this year than Wayne Lordan (119). In fact, he’s creeping towards Joseph O’Brien's career total of 1,345 Ballydoyle rides on home soil and while he’ll never likely get up to the 3,303 times Seamie Heffernan sat on one of Aidan's in an Irish race, the Derby-winning Lordan is naturally expected to step into the number one shoes in Moore’s absence this autumn.
However, in terms of the biggest days in Britain, France and elsewhere later this year you'd imagine a 'best available' policy might need to be employed.
Colin Keane is making regular trips to England and could obviously come into the mix whenever there is no Juddmonte representative, of course, while Sean Levey (four), William Buick and Dylan Browne McMonagle (three apiece) have also had the odd outing for Ballydoyle this season.
As has Richard Kingscote (one mount), who is no longer an option having gone to Hong Kong, but there is another rider who has represented O’Brien in the UK this year and that is Christophe Soumillon.
He’s had a few highly significant roles and cameo parts over the years, from partnering brilliant champions Dalakhani, Zarkava and Cirrus des Aigles to winning a French Champion Hurdle. Earlier this year he finished second on Charlie Johnston's 50/1 shot Lazy Griff in the Betfred Derby for Middleham Park Racing.
Soumillon famously got the elbow as number one for the Aga Khan for giving Rossa Ryan that mid-race elbow three years ago but has seemingly garnered a very good relationship with O’Brien, booting home Los Angeles in the 2023 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and calling him “the best trainer in the world” after riding a top-class double on Grateful and Camille Pissarro at the Arc meeting last year.
He rode Continuous in the big one that weekend, his second Arc ride for the stable having also been on Cape Blanco when Workforce prevailed in 2010. Going even further back, those Group 1 ties were forged when Soumillon won the 2007 Prix Ganay on Dylan Thomas, and rekindled in 2012 as Excelebration beat Cityscape in the 2012 Jacques le Marois.
It was the same Deauville highlight in which Soumillon and O’Brien were back in the spotlight together just two weeks ago, the Diego Velazquez story taking a remarkable twist when the Frankel colt claimed his first Group 1 triumph just days after being sold to Sam Sangster Bloodstock, on behalf of a large syndicate.
Soumillon, who continues to ride with renowned poise and panache, will not be in a hurry to disrupt the amazing season he has been enjoying with Francis Graffard – without doubt the hottest handler in France at present – but there may be some big decisions to be made over the next few months if Coolmore come calling on the hunt for an experienced world-class rider for the likes of Whirl in the Arc, Delacroix on Champions Day or Minnie Hauk at the Breeders’ Cup.
Before all that we have the St Leger Festival at Doncaster clashing with the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown and the Curragh at the end of September.
Clearly not a good time to be out of action if you’re Ryan Moore, but O'Brien will definitely have options and the best available might, on a number of major upcoming racedays, turn out to be one of the best there’s ever been.
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