Victory in the Derby at Epsom could help jockey Pat Cosgrave afford a Dubai return

Cosgrave was banned from competing in the UAE for improper riding during the Super Saturday event at Meydan Racecourse in March last year, a ban that has continued due to his refusal to pay the ERA, reports Geoffrey Riddle.

Pat Cosgrove was banned from competing in the UAE for six months for improper riding during the Super Saturday event at Meydan Racecourse in March last year, a ban that has continued due to his refusal to pay the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) charges of Dh200,000. REUTERS/Suzanne PlunkettShow less

London // Pat Cosgrave has not ruled out a return to Dubai as he gears up for his first ride in the Derby on Saturday aboard Storm The Stars.

Trainer William Haggas and owner Sheikh Juma bin Dalmook have made the decision to keep Cosgrave’s services after he guided the son of 2009 Derby winner Sea The Stars to victory in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood last month.

Cosgrave was banned from competing in the UAE for six months for improper riding during the Super Saturday event at Meydan Racecourse in March last year, a ban that has continued due to his refusal to pay the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) charges of Dh200,000.

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It is a sum that comprised half the appeal hearing, transcription fees plus the fees of the ERA’s appeal panel members.

Cosgrave has ridden 40 winners in Britain this season for a share of £236,119 (Dh1.3m) total prize money, and with the Derby carrying a purse of £1.3m his fine could look like small change should Storm The Stars prevail at Epsom.

“It is a big race and it is worth a lot of money,” Cosgrave said. “I did miss Dubai this year. If I carry on having a good season my financial situation will be much better. I just never thought it was appropriate to have to pay the money to go back to Meydan.

“You should never take anything for granted. Racing is a crazy, mad, but brilliant game. It can lift you, and bring you back down to earth. You’ve got to take racing day by day. You never know what happens between now and the start of the Dubai season.”

Cosgrave has not ridden in a major European Derby since he was working for Aidan O’Brien as a 22-year-old jockey. He partnered Book Of Kings to sixth place behind Grey Swallow in the Irish Derby, having had his first ride the previous year when Handel was down the field.

The ride on Storm The Stars caps what has been a winter of hard work for the Irish jockey, who broke his leg on March 18, a year to the day he received his suspension for the ride on Anaerobio in the Jebel Hatta.

Just under six weeks later he was back in the saddle. He has been riding out at Haggas’s Newmarket yard since February, dropping in occasionally on Mike de Kock’s base in town, and rides out for Meydan regular George Baker once a week.

“How things have changed,” he said. “Sometimes things happen for a reason. I kept riding through the winter on the all-weather and had ridden something like 20 winners before I broke my leg.

“I did not take it very well. I couldn’t believe it. Next year on March 18th, I think I’ll stay in bed!

“This time last year if you had told me I would have broken my leg, ridden 40 winners by June and had been given my first ride in the Derby I would have said you were mad.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Derby hopeful Zawraq faces a race against time to be fit for the Classic. Trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, the Shadwell homebred was found to be lame on Tuesday following a piece of work.

He engaged in light exercise yesterday when it was estimated by his work rider, Leigh Roche, that he was at least 80 per cent better and underwent a scan in the afternoon.

“He’ll have a good canter tomorrow morning with Pat Smullen aboard and how he comes out of that will obviously be crucial,” Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager, said.

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