One way to dump a jockey! Jockey Billy Egan has a runner in the Caulfield Cup without actually riding!

[Wandering Eyes]

Wizard trick? Jockey vanishes in Caulfield Cup ride deal

William Pike after winning the Caulfield Guineas on the Hawkes Racing-trained Ole Kirk. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

 

Racing Victoria stewards were called in to mediate before jockey William Pike was rubber stamped as the rider for South Australian galloper Dalasan in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup.

Dalasan’s connections booked Billy Egan to ride the stallion in the $5 million race after learning Pike was initially unavailable to ride the four-year-old as he had committed to Schabau.

However, the spring jockey merry-go-round meant Pike became available after Schabau’s connections did not pay up for the import at the latest round of acceptances.

Dalsan’s connections moved to replace Egan with Pike before Egan had even sat on the horse. The change gives Pike the chance to add the Caulfield Cup to his rich All-Star Mile and last Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Stakes wins at the venue.

Chief steward Robert Cram said stewards were called on to help broker an agreement between the horse’s owners handing Egan a slice of the riding percentages in order for him to relinquish the ride.

The winning rider in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup will earn a minimum of $150,000, five per cent of the $3 million first prizemoney.

Dalasan is a $17 chance in TAB’s latest Caulfield Cup market. Picture: Atkins photography

 

“Egan approached the stewards and explained the situation,” Cram said.

“It was established that Egan had a contract to ride the horse in the Caulfield Cup.”

Cram said the details of the deal would remain confidential but said he had signed off on an agreement to satisfy both parties.

“Stewards agreed to the request on the proviso they (Dalasan’s connections) pay a percentage (of any prizemoney earned) to Egan if he stands down from the ride.

“We allowed the replacement rider once the deal was completed. “I did mediate and they had to sign off on it to follow it through.”

The deal means Egan cannot take another ride in the Caulfield Cup.

TAB has Dalasan as a $17 chance to win the Caulfield Cup.

In other jockey news, Glen Boss has been confirmed as the rider for highly regarded import Sir Dragonet in Saturday week’s Cox Plate.

Hugh Bowman had previously been booked to ride the Irish stallion — who sits on the fourth line of betting at $9 — however his suspension from Caulfield on Saturday has him ruled out after deciding against an appeal.