RACING: John Murtagh plans to take up to two weeks off from race riding in an attempt to stabilise the weight problems that have plagued him over the past two months.
It means the former champion jockey will miss out on Kalaman, the ante-post favourite for tomorrow's Juddmonte International, and the rest of the prestigious York festival.
Murtagh's agent, Eddie Byrne, confirmed yesterday: "He is taking a couple of weeks off to try and stabilise his weight. He injured his back at Royal Ascot and it is still sore, so he is going to give it time to heal. He just wants to get himself right."
Murtagh was fined €2,000 at the Curragh eight days ago when he failed to meet his commitments on two horses. The stewards said it was the third time this season the jockey had found himself in that situation.
His recent problems have stemmed from the fall he suffered before Ascot's Coventry Stakes in which he injured his back.
Murtagh recovered enough to ride Choisir to success in both the Kings Stand and the Golden Jubilee Stakes, but was still getting treatment in the run-up to Alamshar's Irish Derby triumph.
Murtagh was originally down to ride the Tony Martin-trained Rick - the horse on which he picked up the three-day ban which ruled him out of racing yesterday - at Roscommon tonight.
Rick goes in the mile-and-a-half handicap but could struggle against the Jim Bolger-trained Young Talent. Fran Berry takes over from Murtagh on Vintage Port in the maiden and this one could be good enough.
Tramore winds up this evening and the Dermot Weld-trained Le Leopard looks a bet in the mile-and-a-half maiden.
