Joseph O’Brien is counting on Billy Loughnane to fill in for the injured Dylan Browne McMonagle as Enceladus lines up in the St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The Sea The Stars colt has improved drastically this term, arriving on the back of a hat-trick. Enceladus got off the mark in April when winning a Cork maiden by a head. He improved 18lbs on RPR’s next time out when winning the King George V Stakes Handicap at Royal Ascot.
The second and third franked it thereafter, as did Enceladus when comfortably taking the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. McMonagle rode him to success there, but is on the sidelines after a nasty fall at Bellewstown.
Billy Loughnane has been drafted in and spoke to Sky Sports Racing, via Sporting Life, about the ride: “It’s fantastic ride to pick up. I’m in a very fortunate position to be picking up rides like this. I’ve got a fantastic base of trainers supporting me. I’m the lucky one that gets to be a part of these fantastic horses.”
Billy Loughnane remains 16 clear at the top of the Jockey’s Championship standings. The 20-year-old has had another stellar season, with 119 victories. Bow Echo is the standout, giving Loughnane his first Classic when landing the 2000 Guineas. He landed the Group 1 July Cup on Comanche Brave, and had three Royal Ascot winners with Bow Echo, Libertango and King Of Coughlan.
The latter came for Joseph O’Brien, who evidently exudes enough confidence in Loughnane to leg him up in the Doncaster Classic.
Loughnane hoping improving Enceladus ‘has one more in him.’
Racing can be a fickly opportunistic sport, and Loughnane has certainly benefited from McMonagle’s misfortunes, as he acknowledged: “Obviously, it’s unfortunate for Dylan but from my path it’s a great ride to pick up. He’s been impressive this summer and hopefully he has one more left in him.
“He’s been going through the ranks smoothly and impressing with every start. It’ll obviously be a stiffer assignment on Saturday but Joseph will have him in fantastic nick. He needs no introduction to his training. Hopefully we can get the job done.
“I’ll have a good debrief and speak to the whole team beforehand. Dylan and Ryan have ridden him so I’ll make sure to touch base.”
It will be Billy Loughnane’s first ride in the Betfred St Leger, but after his 2000 Guineas triumph, that certainly will not hinder his chances.