Inside Racing: Six weeks trackside for Teo Nugent

Nugent, who is only four city winners away from outriding his metropolitan claim and ending his apprenticeship, said no operation was needed to fix the break in his wrist.

"They checked out my wrist and the doctors decided to just put it in a plaster cast," the former Warrnambool Brauer College student said.

"The accident was just bad luck. I had no idea at the start that the wrist was broken until it got sore and I started to worry it may be broken. The x-ray revealed the break. It was great that they decided not to operate. It's always disappointing when you're on the sidelines because a few horses that you normally ride win races and that's what's happened over the past 10 days. It's frustrating but there's nothing you can do about it - you've just got to take the good with the bad."

The enforced break from the saddle hasn't been all bad for the 23-year-old jockey, as it's given him time to do some work on his new farm outside of Pakenham.

"I only took over the 40-acre property a few weeks ago," he said.

"I'll be spelling and agisting horses. I've got eight horses here now and been kept busy despite having a broken wrist. There's plenty of work to be done. I'm really enjoying the lifestyle as it's country living on the city boundary. I've found the city life really busy, especially after being raised in Killarney. It just gets so hectic in the city with all the cars. My dream was to own a property with a bit of land around it, and now I've got the opportunity, it's really great. I've been really lucky to have received so much support from owners and trainers during my career."

Nugent has been apprenticed to Victoria's leading trainers, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

Veteran jumps trainer Eric Musgrove has his sights set on another Galleywood Hurdle victory for his promising jumper Gobstopper.

The nine-year-old won the 2020 Galleywood, plus the Lafferty Hurdle before injuring his off-front tendon.

"We had to give Gobstopper a long spell after hitting his tendon," Musgrove said. "It was quite a simple accident but it had disastrous consequences. Gobstopper needed a long break to get the bruising out. We could not rush the process. He had about 18 months on the sidelines. I thought Gobstopper could have developed into a top-class jumper before he sustained the injury. He's won six of his 11 jumps starts, including an Australian Hurdle plus the Galleywood. We're looking at running him in the Galleywood Hurdle again in May this year.

Gobstopper has had two runs on the flat following the long break but the trainer is confident the galloper will be up to the challenge of being ready for this year's Galleywood.

"We're just slowly putting the miles into Gobstopper's legs on the flat," he said. "I'm happy with his progress. We all know how good of a jumper he is. We can't speed up the process. It's just going to take a bit of time to have him at his peak fitness for this year's jumps features."

Musgrove, who has 20 jumpers in work, is looking forward to a successful 2022 jumps season.

State of Class is heading to the spelling paddock, following his win in a restricted class race at Mornington on Saturday.

The Jane Baker-trained State Of Class defeated Delightful Icing and Wild Cherry Road to win the 1000 metre contest.

Baker said State Of Class appreciated the soft going at Mornington.

"His best form is on wet ground," the Warrnambool mentor said. "We'll give him a break now and get him ready for some races over the winter months. He was to have run at Werribee two weeks ago but that meeting was abandoned. We were ready to run at Great Western last week and that meeting also got called off. It's probably a bit lucky we got a soft track at Mornington on Saturday."

Baker, who only has six horses in work, has trained two winners from her last four starters.

"It's funny how things go," she said. "Every now and then stables have good runs, and I'm having one now, and I'm enjoying it."

Baker said she may have two runners at Warrnambool on Thursday.

In-form jockey Jarrod Fry was suspended on a careless riding charge at Donald on Sunday.

Stewards found Fry guilty of the charge, following his ride on Absconded.

They noted the racing manners of Absconded before handing down the seven meeting suspension.

Fry's penalty started at midnight on January 30 and ends midnight on February 4.

Apprentice hoop Madison Lloyd will spend eight meetings on the sidelines after pleading guilty to a careless riding charge at Hamilton last Friday.

The charge related to Lloyd's ride on Sherriffs Lady.

It was found she permitted Sherriffs Lady to move in neat the 900-metre mark.

Her suspension commences at midnight on February 5.

Her suspension ends midnight February 11.

Lloyd scored another metropolitan win riding Okay To Pay to victory in the last race at Moonee Valley on Friday.