Racing: Michael Walker receives thumbs down

Michael Walker

Michael Walker was yesterday sick of jokes like "I'll play you pool for $100".

Just when the leading jockey was getting over wisecracks about sticking out his tongue when winning races, he broke his thumb in a sickening race fall at Manawatu on Saturday.

Missing the year's most lucrative 6-8 week period of race riding is no joke for a jockey. The Matamata horseman will miss the big carnival at Ellerslie beginning on Boxing Day and almost certainly the rich Wellington Cup meeting at Trentham towards the end of January as well.

Walker crashed heavily to the ground when one of the favourites in the first race, Bay Lass, shattered a leg and fell.

"I remember the whole thing. I wasn't knocked out," said Walker yesterday.

Leith Innes, six horses behind Bay Lass, said he heard the bang when the mare's leg broke.

Walker shattered the joint at the base of his thumb.

"At the hospital when I held my hand up the thumb just flopped down."

A reasonable indication of the recuperative period will be gauged when the hand is x-rayed on Friday.

"They've said four to six weeks in plaster then they'll reassess it from there."

Walker doesn't like thinking about the top-class mounts he will miss in rich races over the next six weeks at least.

"There is Zarius, if he made the field for the City Of Auckland Cup, there is Don Garcia, Shikoba, Kristrov, La Sizeranne, Northern Beau, Amazing One in the Railway - it's not pretty to think about."

All Walker hopes for now is that his injury clears up in time to allow him to ride Darci Brahma when the stunning colt resumes at Te Rapa in early February.

Hayden Tinsley is another of New Zealand's leading jockeys who will be missing from the Ellerslie and Trentham carnivals.

Tinsley believed he would be out for only a few weeks following a recent fall, but x-rays last week revealed a cracked sternum, which will require at least eight weeks.

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The Trevor and Stephen McKee partnership is looking for New Year's Day rain for impressive Te Rapa winner Assafa.

The Dubai-owned sprinter handled the rain-affected footing on Saturday and is looking for similar conditions for the $200,000 Waiwera Infinity Railway at Ellerslie on January 1.

In which case the McKees don't want to look at Ken Ring's well-read Predict Weather, which tips widespread rain for Auckland on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and December 27 and fine weather on December 30 and 31 and New Year's Day.

Saturday's win came in a big drop in class for the former Australian-trained Assafa, who raced last in the group two Concorde at Avondale, finishing not far away.

Assafa is raced by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa al Maktoum, a relative of the principal of the world's leading stable, Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum.

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Phillip Stevens hinted at a possible Australian campaign for Kristov after the remarkable galloper's runaway win at Awapuni on Saturday.

As outstanding as Kristov is racing locally - he is far and away the most consistent top class racehorse in a decade - he is the type who is vulnerable in Australia.

He has stunning cruising speed, off which he can kick hard, but so too do many Australian sprinter-metric milers.

Because of his style of racing, Kristov, at the top level in Australia, would have two, three or even four speedy types having a crack at him during a race, softening up his finishing efforts.

That's not to say he couldn't win across the Ditch, but the asset that makes him so good here, would almost certainly be his worst enemy in Australia.

There won't be an appropriate award for Kristov at the end of season racing function - but there surely should be.

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Gaze showed what she could do with a decent passage when she scored a gutsy win in the Rich Hill Stud 1400 at Awapuni.

The Cambridge filly had been off the track from wide barriers in recent starts and this time Andrew Calder was able to find her a nice spot behind the leaders.

Inshelucky tried hard and should now get a nice race over the holiday season.