Jockey Ryan Moore has been ruled out of the remainder of the Flat season after scans revealed a stress fracture to his femur. The 40-year-old, who is the retained rider for Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle operation, was taken off all his mounts at the Curragh on Saturday.
O'Brien confirmed that Moore had been struggling with his right leg since Irish Derby weekend. Despite treatment, the issue persisted, and a scan on Thursday identified the fracture. 'There is only one thing that is going to fix it and that's time,' O'Brien said.
The Coolmore team now face the prospect of being without one of the world's top jockeys for key autumn meetings, including the Irish Champions Festival. Moore's absence is a significant blow, but O'Brien stressed that the yard has capable replacements, including Wayne Lordan, who is currently suspended.
O'Brien speculated that the injury may have originated from Moore's running regime and was aggravated by an incident in Germany when his mount whipped around. 'In all fairness to him, he's been riding for probably two months with a fracture to his femur. Talk about concrete, that man is concrete,' O'Brien added.
