Coolmore has landed a handy substitute for James Mcdonald on Day 1 of The Championships with Ryan Moore set to ride at the April 5 meeting at Randwick.
Coolmore Australia principal Tom Magnier revealed on Tuesday morning it had all but been finalised that the Englishman would step in and fulfil the commitments McDonald would otherwise have had for the global giant.
“The Dubai World Cup meeting is on next weekend and James was going up there, so Ryan is going to come down here,” Magnier told Sky Sports Radio.
“The horse of ours in Dubai, James McDonald is going to ride that for Aiden, so he’ll take Ryan’s ride there in the Gold Cup.
“Ryan is on the team, he’s following these races very closely, so he was delighted when I said do you want to come down.”
Moore will be aboard for what could be Switzerland’s final Australian start in the $3 million Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m).
The son of Snitzel has been unplaced at both starts since his dynamic win in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, finishing fourth in the Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) before a sixth placing in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
Coolmore will also have a runner in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ on April 5 but a decision on whether last Saturday’s Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton presses on to that 1400m event is yet to be made.
Should that son of Wootton Bassett not take his place, Moore will ride the Ciaron Maher-trained State Visit in the Sires’.