Racing: Dunwoody rests on laurels

ADRIAN MAGUIRE has already lined up three mounts for the first day of the new jump season starting on Friday, 29 July. Minutes after finally failing to take the jockeys' championship from Richard Dunwoody on the last day of the old season on Saturday, Maguire was being asked about his next attempt.

'We'll be back again fighting for the title next season,' he said. 'My agent Dave Roberts has already booked three rides for me at Bangor on the first day.'

But then Richard Dunwoody admitted there was unlikely to be a repeat of this year's thrilling tussle. He confirmed that he would probably not put in so much effort again.

'I want to enjoy myself for my next five or six years riding and I don't think I'll be pushing it so hard,' he said.

In a see-saw battle, Dunwoody emerged triumphant over Maguire after the pair drew a blank in the fourth race of the final meeting of the season at Market Rasen on Saturday night. A crowd of more than 7,000 saw one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the jump jockeys' championship.

After riding in a total of 1,807 races between them, Dunwoody finally emerged with 198 wins to Maguire's 194. Dunwoody's total is likely to be cut by one with the probable disqualification of one of his winners.

Lester Piggott partnered Richard Hannon's Right Win to victory in the Group Two Gallinule Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday, giving the veteran jockey an international Pattern race success for the third successive weekend. Right Win, unbeaten in three starts this season, will contest the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.