PICK-UP RIDES GIVE BOBBY EL-ISSA A FIELD DAY

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 3, 2021

Talk about taking your opportunities.

Jockey Bobby El-Issa had two ‘pick-up’ rides at Eagle Farm on Saturday and won on both of them, including what looked to be a peach of a ride on the Mark Currie trained Soxagon in The Buffering.

Soxagon’s win looked to come with the help of a peach of a ride … although El-Issa preferred to downplay his role in that win.

“Jockeys get too much of a rap,” said El-Issa. “The horse did all of the work. I can’t take too much credit. The trainers do all of the hard work and we are just pilots.

“It’s true.

“If the horses are trained well enough to win and you’ve got someone good enough to steer them, whocan get the horse travelling, you can get the result.

“He is a nice horse and well above average. I saw his last win here (in the Listed Lough Neagh) when Bossy (Glen Boss) won on him, so I was never going to be inclined to panic at all.

“I just put my faith in the horse at the 700m. When I went around them, it looked like I was going on him, but I was actually just tracking up comfortably three-deep … and that is why he sustained his run. He was good to the line.

“I think he is a Magic Millions Cup contender. Hopefully I can stay on him.”

El-Issa was a very late call-up for Soxagon after his carded rider Glen Boss was dislodged from Morton’s Fork in the sixth race and was unable to complete his riding engagements. As mentioned, Boss had ridden Soxagon in his previous victory.

Interestingly enough, El-Issa had originally been chasing the rides on both Soxagon and his other pick-up ride, the Steele Ryan trained Snow Valley, who the first race on the card.

“I rang Mark (Currie) about Soxagon and he said Bossy’s was on him … and it was the same with Steele (Ryan). I rang Steele and I said I want to ride Snow Valley. He said to me, Ryan Maloney came and jumped her out and he is riding her. I said, ok, she must be going good then.” (In the end Maloney could not take the ride on race-day as he was overweight).

“So Soxagon and Snow Valley … I end up riding both of them … and I won on Snow Valley’s mother, Deer Valley all those years ago.

“How good is that!”

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