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Next victory speech due at any time says upbeat Woosnam

by John Oakley
IAN WOOSNAM, without a European Tour win for 16 months, warned his rivals yesterday that his next victory speech is ''due at any time''.
Woosnam shot a second round 67 for a 36 holes aggregate of 135, seven under par, to lead a star-(
studded Lancome Trophy field by two strokes despite lacking confidence on the greens.
But, as the 40-year-old Welshman said later: ''If I get my confidence back when I'm putting I don't think a victory is very far away. I had 30 putts today but it's getting better.
''I'm also hitting the ball from tee to green better than 99% of the field here and I'm very keen to win again.''
Woosnam, who leads by two from Colin Montgomerie, American Mark O'Meara, the defending champion, 18-year-old Spanish amateur Sergio Garcia and Spanish professional Miguel Angel Jimenez, has won 28 European Tour events and 43 tournaments in all since he turned professional in 1976.
But this year second place in the Heineken Classic in Australia in February and second again at Loch Lomond in July have been his only consolations.
Woosnam, however, may find it difficult to hold off the challenge of Montgomerie, who needs only to finish in the first three on Sunday to go back to the top of the European Order of Merit.
Montgomerie, who shot 68 yesterday despite a prevalence to hook his drives, has been European number one for the past five years and says that finishing top for a sixth time is ''not a priority''.
But the competitive Scot will become very keen if he can overtake Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, currently first and second in the money list.
Westwood is on 142, seven shots off the pace, while Clarke is an absentee this week.
While Woosnam and Montgomerie were stealing most of the attention, Garcia, who does not intend to turn professional until after the US Masters next year, came home in 68 for a share of third place.
Garcia won the British Amateur championship this year and was also semi-finalist in the US Amateur. He is considered an even better player than Justin Rose, who turned professional after finishing fourth in the Open championship.
Asked where he expected to finish this week, Garcia, not short of confidence, replied: ''I think I can win. I know it will be very difficult in such a strong field but I am playing very well. We shall see what happens.''
O'Meara, winner of both the US Masters and Open Championship this year, shot 67 and is playing with his usual steadiness. He showed his great mental strength when, after having a double bogey at the fourth hole, his 13th, he had four successive birdies to move back on to the leaderboard.
Jimenez, who shot 67 in the first round, added a 70 yesterday which included an eagle two at the 369-yard fifth hole.
New Zealander Michael Long shot easily the best round of the day with a 63, one more than the course record, after a first round 75 and had to re-book his hotel room because he thought he had no chance of making the halfway cut.

Fortune signs up as Sangster's first jockey

JIMMY FORTUNE yesterday accepted a retainer to ride for Robert Sangster - and pledged to do everything in his power to become champion jockey one day.
Fortune, 26, had been courted by the leading owner for several weeks and the deal was announced yesterday morning in a statement from Manton where Sangster's horses are trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam.
At Doncaster last week Sangster stated that he asked to ride Fortune for him on a ''gentlemen's agreement'' basis, implying that the jockey was not being offered a retainer.
But Fortune said: ''There was always going to be a retainer involved. I just needed to get one or two things sorted out before I made my decision. I spoke to Mr Sangster last night and I'm delighted to be taking the position.''
Fortune was forced to look elsewhere when his current employer Lynda Ramsden announced that she was handing in her training licence at the end of the season.
He is hoping that the move south will boost him in his ambition to be leading jockey one day.
Ironically, he will be trying to wrest the title from Kieren Fallon, his great pal and predecessor at Ramsden's stable.
''Every jockey wants to be champion. Whether it will happen for me I don't know but I shall certainly be striving for it,'' he said.
''I'm very lucky to be offered this opportunity and I will certainly be aiming to make the most of it. Mr Sangster has some excellent horses and I'm looking forward to riding all of them.
''I still love riding in the north and I will still be coming up as much as I can.''
Co Wexford-born Fortune left school at the age of 13 and had one and a half years with Jim Bolger before going to England.
He started out in the north-west with the now-retired Mike O'Neill and was only 17 when steering O'Neill's Joveworth to victory in the 1989 Ayr Gold Cup.
Fortune then moved south to Newmarket and joined Luca Cumani where he spent two years.
''I learnt plenty there but when Luca lost the Aga Khan horses I had to leave. Frankie Dettori and Jason Weaver were riding for him at the time and opportunities were limited,'' he said.
Fortune returned north joining David Barron at Thirsk and the pair had a successful partnership for two years.
''It went really well with David and he taught me a lot about riding,'' he said. ''I won several big races on Coastal Bluff including the Stewards' Cup and Ayr Gold Cup in 1994.''
After leaving Barron, Fortune stayed in North Yorkshire and moved just a few miles to join Lynda Ramsden.
He took over at the Breckenbrough House yard when Fallon was snapped up by Henry Cecil.
"I owe the Ramsdens a lot," he said. "I'm sorry they are retiring."