David Egan has resigned as Amo Racing's number one retained jockey, a move that comes amid increasing tension with the racing operation's chief, Kia Joorabchian. The relationship between Egan, 27, and Joorabchian reportedly became severely strained following a winless week for the stable at Royal Ascot.
Egan was initially appointed as the first jockey in December 2023 on a two-year contract, which was extended in June of the following year. An Amo Racing post on X at the time stated that Egan had been an integral part of their team and expressed anticipation for building on their strong foundation.
However, a lack of success at Royal Ascot, a meeting identified as pivotal for Joorabchian's multi-million-pound operation, appeared to create irreparable rifts. Egan was reportedly criticized by his bosses for his ride aboard Ancient Egypt, a 22-1 outsider that finished second in the Group 1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris.
Following the Royal Ascot performance, Egan has been replaced on several key rides. Rowan Scott, Amo's second rider, is now set to pilot the £2 million purchase Ghostwriter in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes. Egan was also removed from the mount on Treasurer in a Listed event at Ascot, despite having won on the horse previously. He did, however, ride the odds-on favorite Glamorize to victory at Nottingham in what is understood to be his final ride for the operation.
This change in policy by Joorabchian is understood to have prompted Egan to end his retainer before its natural conclusion at the end of the year. The departure could potentially pave the way for Rossa Ryan, Amo's original number one rider until September 2022, to become more involved with the stable once more. Ryan had previously partnered two winners for trainer Robson De Aguiar at the Curragh last Sunday, riding horses owned by Amo.