Premiership winning jockey Jim Byrne is hopeful of being fit to ride and re-unite with his Winter Carnival Group 1 winner Capital Gain at the Christmas Carnival Race Day at Doomben on Saturday after injuring his ankle earlier in the week.
Jim Byrne is set to team up again with Capital Gain, above, in the Winning Rupert Plate at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.
Byrne was cleared of any break in the ankle that was severely sprained after he was dislodged from his mount on the way to the barriers at the jump outs at Doomben on Tuesday morning.
The leading Brisbane jockey had to forego his mounts at the Gold Coast on Wednesday and at Ipswich on Friday but his manager Cameron Partington said that Byrne was confident he would be fit to ride at Doomben on Saturday.
“Jim will probably also miss Friday at Ipswich but we expect he will be right by Saturday,” Partington told AAP.
“He is a tough customer.”
Byrne has been booked to ride in eight of the nine races at Doomben and is due to join forces again with the Paul Butterworth trained Capital Gain in the $100,000 Winning Rupert Plate (1200m) for the three year olds.
Byrne and Capital Gain teamed up during the Brisbane Winter Carnival to win the Group 1 $600,000 BMW J.J. Atkins (1600m) for the two year olds at Doomben which was Byrne’s second Group 1 win of the Carnival after leading all of the way on Redzel to win the Group 1 $700,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1200m) at Doomben on May 13.
Capital Gain has had one barrier trial in preparation for his return to the race track for a fourth over 1000m at Doomben on November 14.
The Tony Gollan trained Most Important is Byrne’s ride in the feature race of the day, the Group 3 $200,000 George Moore Stakes (1200m).
Most Important will be fitter for one run back from a spell and with Michael Cahill in the saddle the five year old finished sixth in the Listed $100,000 Keith Noud Quality (1200m) at Ipswich on November 22.
Byrne has ridden twenty-three metropolitan winners for the current season and is fourth in the Brisbane jockey’s premiership behind Jeff Lloyd (37), Robbie Fradd (30) and Matthew McGillivray (25).