INJURIES have ended the 2018 jumps season for top jumping jockey Brad McLean.
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McLean, 33, has succumbed to an injured left shoulder and will head to Melbourne to seek medical advice on Wednesday, regarding the ongoing problems.
“I’m going down to see Dr Zimmerman on Wednesday,” the Warrnambool-based jockey said.
“The shoulder has been giving me a bit of grief.
“I thought I might have been able to get through this season but it’s just been too sore over the last three to four weeks.
“The wear and tear has just got a bit too much. I’ve already had three reconstructions and clean-outs on the shoulder over the years.”
The talented horseman – who has Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase victories among his achievements in the saddle – still has screws in his left shoulder from previous operations.
“I’ve noticed how fragile the shoulder has been over the last two years,” he said.
“There’s still a few screws and a bone graft from the last operation four years ago. I’ll be guided by what Dr Zimmerman has to say. He’s the expert but I reckon he’ll say I’ll need another operation to fix the problems, which will mean I’ll be out of action for between five to six months.
“With a long rest, I’m hopeful of being back for next season.”
The lightly raced jumper Cougar Express – McLean’s key ride in this jumping season – will have a new jockey for his next jumps in Adelaide.
“My brother Jarrod trains Cougar Express,” McLean said. “I think the horse has a bright future over the jumps. It’ll be up to Jarrod to decide on a a jockey going forward for Cougar Express.
“It looks like the next run for Cougar Express may be in Adelaide.”
McLean – who has won various feature jumping races at Warrnambool’s May Carnival, including four Galleywood Hurdles and two Brierly Steeplechases – still has a burning ambition to ride a Grand Annual Steeplechase winner.
“The Grand Annual is the race all jumps jockeys want to win,” he said.
“I want to win one before I retire – believe me it would give me great satisfaction if I could win an Annual before I hung up my saddle.”
MORE IN STORE
VETERAN Mount Gambier trainer Michael O’Leary may head to Adelaide with his consistent galloper Woolsthorpe Store after his win in the Apsley Cup at Edenhope on Sunday.
Heavyweight jockey Shayne Cahill was outed for seven meetings after his winning ride on the seven-year-old.
O’Leary said Woolsthorpe Store was unlucky at his last start running fourth in the Casterton Cup.
“The win makes up for our Casterton Cup run,” he said.
“We’ll probably have to look at going to Adelaide with him for his next start. He’s a very honest horse who seems to appreciate wet tracks.”
Woolsthorpe Store, who is named after the store in the little hamlet north of Warrnambool, has won eight of his 28 starts.
CERCHI SALUTES
COLOURFUL Colac trainer Bill Cerchi took the training honours at the Aspley Cup meeting at Edenhope on Saturday.
Cerchi trained two winners on the 10-race program. He was successful with Backstreet Alley in a maiden plate and Menegatti won a restricted race. Both horses were ridden by Warrnambool jockey Declan Bates.
Cerchi predicted a bright career for the lightly raced Backstreet Alley.
“I’ve always had an opinion of Backstreet Alley,” he said. “His form was not too bad. He just needed everything to go right in the run which it did today.
“I paid $46,000 for him as a yearling. He’s the dearest horse I’ve ever purchased.
“I think he’s about six months away from being a really nice type of horse.
“We’ve given Menegatti 10 runs since we took her over and she’s collected a cheque in nine of those runs and won two, so her record is very good.
“Her next run may be in Adelaide or we might give her a spell.”
Menegatti took her stakemoney earnings to more than $90,000 with her victory.
TOUGH’S TIME
TOUGH Koroit trained galloper Tough Vic collected more prizemoney for his connections with a third placing at Edenhope on Sunday.
From his six runs for James McNamara – Tough Vic has won one race and earnt stakemoney at five of those runs.
“He’s just so honest,” McNamara said. “He’s tough. We’ll probably go to Naracoorte for his next run. There’s a 2000 metre race on the program for him.
“The long-term project is to put him over the jumps, but while he’s running well on the flat we’ll keep him to those sorts of race for now.”
Meanwhile, McNamara said he was pleased with the performance of Hornets’ Nest in a hurdle trial at Warrnambool last Thursday.
“We’ll take him to a hurdle trial at Cranbourne before kicking off his jumps campaign at Casterton before running in the Lafferty Hurdle race,” the Koroit milk bar owner said. “He won both jumping races last year and I think the way he’s going now he should be competitive in both this year.”
From his nine jumps starts, Hornets’ Nest has won three races and ran third on three occasions.
SUSPENSION
TALENTED jockey John Allen will miss 11 meetings after been found guilty of a careless riding charge after his ride on Circuleight at Swan Hill on Friday.
Stewards found Allen near the 300 metre mark permitted Circuleight to shift out resulting in Bowmore Crescent being checked.
His suspension starts June 17 and ends June 28.