Gerald Mosse
Hong Kong Jockey Club
Internationally successful jockey Gerald Mosse has jumped at the opportunity to partner his namesake at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The 49-year-old Frenchman is a long-time friend of Cambridge trainer John Bell and a phone call between the pair earlier this week has resulted in the champion rider partnering Mosse in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint.
"Gerald and I have been mates for 20-odd years," Bell said. "I used to sell horse feed all around Asia for about 18 years and through that I got to know Gerald and I used to stay with him in Hong Kong a lot.
"We've been buddies for a long time and I was talking to Gerald a few nights ago when he was in Singapore and he asked me what Mosse was doing and I told him he was running on Saturday and he said he would come down and ride him."
He will also be aboard stablemate Enough, the winner of two of his four starts, in the Distinction Hamilton 1200.
Bell also greatly appreciated the response from Anna Jones, who had originally been booked for the ride on Mosse.
"Anna has come over and ridden him and it was very professional of her to say she would stand down," he said.
Mosse has ridden Group One winners all over the world, including the 2010 Melbourne Cup on Americain and the 1990 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe aboard Saumarez, as well as every classic in his native France.
Originally apprenticed to Patrick Biancone, he later rode for famed trainer François Boutin and from 1993 to late 2001 he was also the principal rider for the Aga Khan. Currently based in Singapore, he has also ridden more than 600 winners in Hong Kong.
Mosse's equine namesake will be resuming his injury-plagued career on Saturday following an 11 month break.
"He's had bone chips and a hairline fracture of his fetlock," Bell said. "He's taken a bit longer to get fit now he's older.
"He's a bit pretty, but he will still be a good show - he's a very talented animal. He'll be nominated for the Railway, along with Enough and Julius."
A lightly-tried five-year-old, Julius has a win and two placings from his three appearances. – NZ Racing Desk.
The 49-year-old Frenchman is a long-time friend of Cambridge trainer John Bell and a phone call between the pair earlier this week has resulted in the champion rider partnering Mosse in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint.
"Gerald and I have been mates for 20-odd years," Bell said. "I used to sell horse feed all around Asia for about 18 years and through that I got to know Gerald and I used to stay with him in Hong Kong a lot.
"We've been buddies for a long time and I was talking to Gerald a few nights ago when he was in Singapore and he asked me what Mosse was doing and I told him he was running on Saturday and he said he would come down and ride him."
He will also be aboard stablemate Enough, the winner of two of his four starts, in the Distinction Hamilton 1200.
Bell also greatly appreciated the response from Anna Jones, who had originally been booked for the ride on Mosse.
"Anna has come over and ridden him and it was very professional of her to say she would stand down," he said.
Mosse has ridden Group One winners all over the world, including the 2010 Melbourne Cup on Americain and the 1990 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe aboard Saumarez, as well as every classic in his native France.
Originally apprenticed to Patrick Biancone, he later rode for famed trainer François Boutin and from 1993 to late 2001 he was also the principal rider for the Aga Khan. Currently based in Singapore, he has also ridden more than 600 winners in Hong Kong.
Mosse's equine namesake will be resuming his injury-plagued career on Saturday following an 11 month break.
"He's had bone chips and a hairline fracture of his fetlock," Bell said. "He's taken a bit longer to get fit now he's older.
"He's a bit pretty, but he will still be a good show - he's a very talented animal. He'll be nominated for the Railway, along with Enough and Julius."
A lightly-tried five-year-old, Julius has a win and two placings from his three appearances. – NZ Racing Desk.