Paul Mulrennan loses Mabs Cross Nunthorpe ride to Gerald Mosse

Paul Mulrennan says the disappointment of losing the ride on flying mare Mabs Cross will only serve to make him more determined to enjoy as much success as possible in the final months of the Flat season.

The Racing TV ambassador reached a career landmark of 1,000 winners when Camacho Chief scored for longstanding ally Michael Dods at Doncaster in June, and will partner that horse, as well as the progessive two-year-old Troubador on whom he is bidding for a fourth consecutive success, for Dods on the opening day of the Ebor Festival meeting at York on Wednesday.

However, having found out that he is to be replaced aboard Mabs Cross in Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes by Gerald Mosse, the jockey who rode her to victory in last year’s Prix de l’Abbaye when Mulrennan was sidelined through injury, Mulrennan said he would work to make sure that the disappointment would simply spur him on.

“She is a fantastic mare and it’s always been a pleasure to ride her,” he told Racing TV. “She has been working well in the last couple of weeks and I will obviously still be cheering her on, if I don't have another ride in the race.

“Her owners have obviously decided to take me off, but they are entitled to their choice and I’m not the first jockey in the world – and I won’t be the last either – to lose a big ride like this.

“The Ebor Festival is a meeting that means a lot to me and I’m still looking forward to it. Troubador is an incredibly tough and versatile young horse and hopefully he can give me a winner in the nursery on the opening day of the meeting, even though it will be a competitive race.

“I’ve ridden 34 winners already this year and will be doing my best to improve that figure as much as possible, buoyed on by all the support I enjoy from Mr Dods and all of the other yards and owners I ride regularly for.”

Barring the Abbaye, Mulrennan has been on board for all six of the other victories enjoyed so far by Mabs Cross, who was beaten by only a pixel in last year's Nunthorpe.

He also won the Nunthorpe on the Dods-trained Mecca's Angel in 2015 and 2016.

Dods said: “Obviously the owner is thinking of the Abbaye. Gerald Mosse won the Abbaye on her last year – and if he can ride her in France again, that is a big plus.

“It’s tough for Paul, but the owner is looking at the bigger picture.”

Of Mabs Cross, the trainer added: “I’m very happy with her at the moment.”

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