Racing: Dunwoody likely to lose Remittance

NATIONAL HUNT racing's leading trainers have taken their partners for next season with Martin Pipe plumping for Richard Dunwoody as his retained rider, and David Nicholson replacing the champion jockey-elect with Adrian Maguire, writes Richard Edmondson.

Dunwoody is now destined to become as dominant a figure in the sport as his Pond House predecessor, Peter Scudamore, was before him.

In the longer term, Maguire is on the path of both Scudamore and Dunwoody, who progressed from the Nicholson academy to jumping's top job.

'Richard comes to us as champion jockey and hopefully we can keep him there for many years to come,' Pipe said yesterday. 'He seems a highly intelligent man and we've got the same interests. Namely winning races.'

Dunwoody is similarly invigorated by the prospect of harvesting the Pipe bounty, and he also hopes to maintain some sort of ties with Nicholson and the other man who has provided a substantial portion of his winners, Nicky Henderson.

'I'm very much looking forward to the fresh challenge the job provides,' he said. 'Mr Pipe has made it clear that I may continue as many of my outside contacts as possible and together with their help it would be nice to crack the 200 one day.

'I'm sad to be leaving Mr Nicholson. I've had seven smashing seasons there and it's been a happy time. The guv'nor, the staff, the horses and owners have been a pleasure to work with.

'Hopefully, I may be able to fall in for the odd spare ride when Adrian Maguire is unavailable. Mr Henderson has been a great support and without his help I would not have been in the position to become champion. I hope I will be able to ride for him on some basis.'

That basis is unlikely to include the ride on Henderson's most compelling horse, the 1992 Champion Chaser, Remittance Man, however. 'I would hope that Remittance Man's owners agree that the stable jockey rides their horse,' the Lambourn trainer said yesterday. I don't think it's right that somebody else should be able to take the cream rides.'

(Photograph omitted)