Quinn unscathed after Lingfield scare
Richard Quinn is looking forward to teaming up with French 2000 Guineas third River Proud in the Vodafone Derby after surviving an 11th hour injury scare at Lingfield.
Quinn was thrown from Pantherii as the three-year-old walked out to the course before the Blindley Heath Fillies’ Handicap and stood himself down after the incident.
Quinn said: “We were going down the walkway and she was playing up. She stopped suddenly and I went over her head.
“There is no lasting damage at all and I was more surprised really as she is normally such a sweet filly.”
The stewards manoeuvred quickly to allow Nelson de Sousa to partner Paul Cole’s representative and the pair went on to finish seventh.
Stipendiary steward Terence Brennan added: “The filly was mucking around and deposited Richard. We decided we could accommodate a replacement jockey with minimal disruption and did so.”
Quinn has been in the plate for all seven of River Proud’s starts and was on board as Cole’s colt came from the clouds at Longchamp having proven unruly in the stalls.
He added: “He seems to have grown up from the French Guineas and I’m looking forward to the race.
“He probably needed the experience and the run seems to have done him the world of good.”
