Imaging (right)© Photo Healy Racing
Dermot Weld will not retain a rider for this flat season as the Derby winning trainer attempts to replace his sidelined stable jockey Pat Smullen.
Smullen's recent tumour diagnosis leaves his staunch ally Weld without an established stable jockey for the season and the trainer today stated "I have retained no rider for the year and Leigh Roche was in Dubai today (on unplaced Hit The Bid) and Chris Hayes rode very well for me at Naas and I've no retained rider and will use a variety of jockeys.
"I've been spoiled for 34 years that I've had Mick Kinane and Pat Smullen and it is hard to believe they covered that length of time (as stable jockeys). They are two brilliant men and at the moment the logical thing to do is not to retain anybody."
Weld was commenting having won the three-runner www.corkracecourse.ie Race at Cork with Imaging the mount of Declan McDonogh, and added "Declan (McDonogh) was an apprentice with me years ago and the last time he rode for me was when he won the Concorde Stakes (with Anam Allta in 2011) at Tipperary on Arc weekend."
