Late withdrawals at Wolverhampton hit Buick’s championship push

Rider had three horses ruled out on Monday.

William Buick headed to Wolverhampton on Monday with what appeared to be an incredibly strong book of rides and while he rode one winner, an unfortunate set of circumstances saw three of his mounts withdrawn.

Buick started the day six winners behind reigning champion jockey Oisin Murphy and the day got off to a perfect start as Pocket The Profit justified 11-8 favouritism in the Champions Day On Sky Sports Racing Nursery Handicap.

George Boughey’s juvenile was a winner at Brighton last time out and defied a 6lb penalty in taking style, suggesting there was more to come.

Buick then got the leg up on Roger Chalrlton’s Amalfi Bay in the Free Tips On attheraces.com Handicap, but the 100-30 favourite only beat one home as Jason Watson took the spoils on Harry Dunlop’s Thunder Ahead.

The day then took a turn for Buick as his mount in the in the Download The At The Races App Nursery Handicap, the Roger Varian-trained Poet, bolted on the way to the start and was withdrawn, leaving 11-4 favourite Mohi to triumph.

Buick then teamed up with James Tate’s Twilight Secret, the 11-4 joint-favourite in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap. However, on arriving at the start for the six-furlong contest, he was withdrawn on veterinary advice.

Joseph Parr’s Hello Me (9-2) took the spoils under Rossa Ryan, who later followed up on Thunder Queen (3-1 joint favourite) in the Read Kevin Blake On attheraces.com EBF Novice Stakes when Buick’s intended mount Infrared, who was favourite at the time, was withdrawn in the minutes leading up to the race, again on the vet’s advice.

Tricolore ridden by Hollie Doyle (centre) winning the race named after her column
Tricolore ridden by Hollie Doyle (centre) winning the race named after her column (David Davies/PA)

Buick then went close when second on Pretty Sweet in the following Read Hollie Doyle’s Column On attheraces.com Handicap when Doyle, celebrating her birthday, won her own race on Tricolore (6-1) for Marco Botti.

She told Sky Sports Racing: “I actually won on him earlier in the year and really liked him and he’s got some good form.

“He just needs everything to drop right and today it did.”

Buick then must have fancied his chances on odds-on favourite Toromona in the Follow At The Races On Twitter Maiden Stakes but he was no match for William Haggas’ Lady Rockstar and Kieran Shoemark, with Buick finishing a 12-length second.

The championship chaser had to settle for second in the finale as well when Lower Street (6-1) had Buick back in second on One Last Dance.

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