Racing: Big break for Young on two for Nicholls

JEREMY YOUNG has the chance this afternoon to show that he could one day follow in the footsteps of fellow Ulstermen Tony McCoy and Richard Dunwoody when he has three booked mounts at Exeter for his governor, Paul Nicholls.

In the final two races Young, a 23-year-old amateur, is up against top riders - and they include Nicholls's retained jockey, Joe Tizzard. But last night Nicholls said there was nothing too surprising about Tizzard riding for rival yards.

``Jeremy has ridden three winners for me already this season and he's a good amateur,'' the trainer said. Lord Esker, Young's mount in the 3.10, has top weight and the yard wanted to utilise his 7lb claim on a horse not certain to appreciate testing ground. Tizzard has been booked for the Ron Hodges-trained Morstock.

In the 3.40, Tizzard partners Henry Daly's Needwood Lion, while Young rides Existential. ``Existential is only a four-year-old and we feel he is badly handicapped,'' Nicholls explained.

Dunwoody's retirement, meanwhile, has set the Irish trainer Willie Mullins a problem in finding a permanent replacement jockey for the Gold Cup contender Florida Pearl. "I have Paul [Carberry] and Ruby [Walsh] in mind. I'm 50- 50, I just don't know,'' Mullins said.