Juglall gets call-up from Mauritius, Latest Racing News - The New Paper
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Juglall gets call-up from Mauritius

Nooresh Juglall will not be riding at tomorrow's Hari Raya Haji meeting at Kranji.

The Mauritian jockey is neither suspended nor injured, but got the call-up to ride at his hometown's biggest race of the season, the Air Mauritius Maiden Cup this Sunday.

The race is over the 2,400m.

Juglall was booked by trainer Rameshwar Gujadhur to ride Solar Star, one of the favourites in the Indian Ocean island's blue riband.

Juglall, who often makes hit-and-run visits to the Champ de Mars, the country's only racecourse and second-oldest in the world, will also ride six more horses through the eight-race programme.

The last time he rode in Mauritius was last year in June at a similar pitstop visit in a classic, the Barbe Cup, but unfortunately failed to win aboard Bouclette Top.

Though there is no Sunday racing in Singapore this week, the 26-year-old had to skip tomorrow's standalone meeting as there are no flights to Mauritius on Friday night or Saturday.

"It's an honour to ride in the biggest race of my country," said Juglall, who finished unplaced aboard Bastille Day in the 2013 edition which was won by Intercontinental ridden by old Kranji acquaintance Johnny Geroudis.

"I've ridden in the Maiden Cup before but has never won it. The trainer did not have a rider for Solar Star and approached me. As there was no meeting on Sunday, I accepted the offer."

Juglall will return to Singapore early next week to prepare for next week's Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy weekend.

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