Tom Scudamore fall gives Barry Geraghty spare ride, as Waley-Cohen eyes dream double

Published on Friday 8 April 2011 15:31

Barry Geraghty has come in for the ride on Or Noir De Somoza in the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree after original jockey Tom Scudamore suffered a dislocated shoulder in a fall yesterday.

Scudamore was partnering The Giant Bolster in the Mildmay Novices' Chase and took a heavy tumble when the gelding came down at the fifth fence. The jockey was taken to Fazakerley Hospital and to add insult to injury, he missed a winning ride on Battle Group in the John Smith's smithythehorse.com Handicap Hurdle. After seeing that horse win under Geraghty, trainer David Pipe said: "I've spoken to Tom's wife and he has dislocated his shoulder and they are putting him back together. Obviously he's going to be off, which is very disappointing for him and he's going to miss out on the Grand National on Or Noir De Somoza.

"Barry is going to ride him as well and the first thing he said after getting off Battle Group was that he hoped the second spare ride is as good as the first."

Scudamore's father Peter - the former champion jockey - will fly the flag for the family as assistant trainer to his partner Lucinda Russell, with Scotland's Silver By Nature representing the stable today.

Meanwhile, Sam Waley-Cohen will bid to become the first amateur jockey to ride the winner of the National in more than 20 years when he partners Oscar Time. Not since Marcus Armytage won in record time on Mr Frisk in 1990 has a rider from the Corinthian ranks claimed glory in the world's greatest steeplechase. Should he do it, Waley-Cohen's feat will be even more extraordinary as he has already won the Gold Cup this season on Long Run, owned by his father, Robert. The Martin Lynch-trained Oscar Time, also running in the colours of his father, has solid credentials, finishing second in last year's Irish Grand National and third last time out to National favourite The Midnight Club.

Waley-Cohen, an Edinburgh University graduate, said: "It's been a pretty extraordinary few months and something just to enjoy and relish. The Gold Cup seems to have touched a few people, who have written to me saying how much they enjoyed it. There was a wave of goodwill. Coming into a race like this, you just want to enjoy it, especially when you are on a horse that you believe in.

"To me you want a horse that can be ultra-consistent and hasn't got a string of pulled-ups and falls in its history. You also want a horse that can travel and jump with real enthusiasm in a big field and he showed that in the Irish National and the Paddy Power. I've ridden him three times this season and everyone connected with the horse feels that he is now in the form of his life coming into this race.

"He has all the right attributes to be a Grand National horse and, perhaps most significantly, he has a whole load of courage.The National is famed for its fairytale outcomes and the Oscar Time story fits the bill."

Waley-Cohen added: "It's a man and horse story with Martin and Oscar Time. He only has ten or 11 horses and bought him as an unbroken store and has all but slept in the same box for the last five years. He's absolutely his pride and joy."