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Tuesday's racing round-up includes news of a setback for a leading Melbourne Cup contender...
Crystal Black has been ruled out of a Melbourne Cup bid after suffering a viral infection during his preparation. Nominations for the 'race that stops the nation' were announced on Monday and the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes-winner was not amongst the list. It was a disappointment for trainer Ger Keane and his son Colin Keane, regular jockey, but the gelding is expected to return for the 2025 flat season.
Jockey Callum Shepherd has successfully appealed against the eighteen-day suspension given at Kempton Park in late August. The penalty was imposed by the stewards after it was deemed that Shepherd failed "to take all reasonable and permissible measures on a horse which would have finished outright first" on his ride aboard Thorntondale Max. During the hearing, Shepherd argued that he had lost his balance rather than failing to ride out the finish on the David Simock-trained runner and the panel agreed with his defence. Panel chairperson HH James O'Mahony said, as part of his closing statement: "We find on the balance of probabilities there was a loss of rhythm and an imbalance that had some causal connection with the appearance... we add that there was no apparent loss of momentum as far as the horse was concerned…the sanction, is of course, quashed."
The Leger Legends race, run on the Sunday of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster, will be named in honour of jockey Graham Lee, who continues to battle against the life-changing injuries suffered in a fall. The race brings together ex-jockeys to raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund and the National Racing College, including former champion Richard Johnson, Brian Harding and Gerald Mosse.
Haras d'Etreham have announced their stallion Almanzor, winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, will not return to France after New Zealand's Cambridge Stud acquired the full breeding rights to the Classic hero. The son of Wootton Bassett has proven a considerable success in the Southern Hemisphere, producing twenty-four Stakes winners. Nicolas de Chambure, executive director of Haras d'Etreham, said: ""After six seasons of shuttling it is logical for us to accept the offer from Cambridge Stud, which will allow the stallion to remain in the hemisphere where he is the most successful. We wish them continued success for the future, and we would like to express our thanks to all the shareholders and breeders who have supported Almanzor during his covering seasons at Etreham."
