Vigar has been handed an eight week suspension
Jockey Raymond Vigar will not ride the $9 chance Jimi Hendrix in the $220,000 Darwin Cup.
Vigar’s participation in the Darwin Cup Carnival was brought to an abrupt end when all jockeys were breath-tested at Saturday’s Palmerton Sprint with alcohol being detected in Vigar’s sample that came in above the prescribed limit as dictated by the Rules Of Racing.
Vigar has been handed an eight week suspension.
Daniel Moor is the late riding alteration.
Vigar was aboard the Michael Hickmott trained gelding when he finished second over 1600m in his last start (a month ago) under the steadying burden of 61.5kg … which was both his first start for Hickmott since relocating from the Annabel and Rob Archbald stables in Victoria and his first start in Darwin, one designed as the preferred lead-up race for Jimi Hendrix’s Darwin Cup bid.
Jimi Hendrix will carry 54kg in the big race, down a full 7.5kg at the weights.
But Hickmott, who has already saddled three Darwin Cup winners, will not be putting all of his eggs in the Jimi Hendrix basket as he will send two other runners out on to Darwin Cup battle field, the current $4.80 betting sites favourite Stormageddon and the $13 chance Watadeel.
Stormageddon finished a close-up fourth in the Chief Minister’s Cup over 1600m last time. He will be fitter for the two runs he has already had in this preparation, and he should be well served by the step up in distance (from 1600m to 2050m).
Watadeel finished unplaced, 3.50 lengths behind Stormageddon in the Chief Minister’s Cup so, he looks like he will need to find a few lengths if he is to have a major impact on the result.
Joe Bowditch will ride Stormageddon. Zac Spain will be on Watadeel.
